Bible Study – Count On (3) – GOD’S Promise of
Blessing – Genesis 12, 15, and 17 + Genesis 21 - Special – June 16, 2024 - Recommended Read
Our focus scripture is Genesis 12:1-3; 15:5-7 and
17:7-11. (I added Genesis 21, which, I think adds a better understanding and
foundation.)
GOD promised to bless all people through HIS
chosen people.
Who are GOD’S chosen people? The descendants of Abraham
and all who place their faith in JESUS are GOD’S chosen.
How can this be? Through the miracle
of being “born-again” in our human spirit through faith in JESUS.
A person’s Spiritual Birth through faith in JESUS results
in that person being eternally born into GOD’S Eternal Family.
Our study this week focuses on Abram, who later GOD called
Abraham, Father of Many. GOD made a covenant with Abraham which was eternal through
Abraham’s ancestral line through which JESUS, GOD’S only divine Son would be
born 100% human and 100% GOD to fulfill GOD’S redemptive purpose.
How much faith did Abraham have in GOD? We will discover in
Gensis 22 printed at the end of this lesson along with an excellent study written
by Kelly Frances, The Plain Word.
Why so much on this part of Biblical history? Because it is
foundational to why JESUS, through Abraham’s ancestral line, as chosen by the
One True GOD for all people. (Each Person Has to make a choice)
This is long study but I believe you will find it worth the
time to read/study it. May our LORD open your Spiritual eyes to the truth that
will be revealed to you. Blessings!
According to early History Abraham’s father, Terah, made,
sold and worshipped idols, however Abram did not believe in idols.
GOD called Abraham to leave Haran and travel
to a land GOD would show him and those who traveled with him. Abram responded
to GOD’S call. GOD still calls pastors, teachers, missionaries, and ordinary
people to place their faith in HIM.
Did Abram know GOD? No! He experienced the presence of GOD
through life experiences. GOD revealed Himself to Abram by speaking to him
directly and along life’s journey. Abram was not perfect and when he stepped
out of line, GOD corrected him.
Let’s read Genesis 12:1-9:
Genesis 12:1 The Lord said to Abram:
Go from
your land,
your relatives,
and your father’s house
to the land that I will show you.
2 I will make
you into a great nation,
I will bless you,
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless
those who bless you,
I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt,
and all the peoples on earth
will be blessed[a] through you.[b]
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot
went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He
took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated,
and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of
Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed
through the land to the site of Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. (At that
time the Canaanites were in the land.) 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your
offspring[c] I will
give this land.” So, he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. 8 From
there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with
Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to the Lord there, and he called on the name of
the Lord. 9 Then
Abram journeyed by stages to the Negev.
Abram placed his trust in the
one true GOD, I AM/YAWEH. Yet Abram came from the background of his earthly
father who made, sold and worshipped idols. Abram trusted the one true GOD,
WHO was revealing Himself to Abram.
It is Abram’s life journey of
building trust and walking by faith with the One True Living GOD, WHO became
the GOD of the Israelites.
Let’s read Genesis 15:1-7: (In a vision)
Genesis 15:1: After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram
in a vision:
Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield; your reward will be very great.
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since
I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” [a] 3 Abram continued, “Look, you have
given me no offspring, so a slave born in[b] my house will be my heir.”
4 Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one
will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body[c] will be your heir.” 5 He took
him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to
count them.” Then he said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him
as righteousness.
We must trust and obey even
when we cannot see GOD’S promises fulfilled as we journey with GOD through
faith in JESUS.
7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord who
brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
There are times when we have
to reflect upon where we have been in our journey with GOD and JESUS, in order
to keep on walking by faith.
We have an adversary, Satan
and his minions and our part is to stay focused upon who we are through faith
in JESUS, as revealed in 1 John 4:2-6: 2 This is how you
know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come
in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit
that does not confess Jesus[a] is not from God. This is the spirit of the
antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the
world.
4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them,
because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the
world. 5 They are from the world. Therefore,
what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We
are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from
God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and
the spirit of deception.
Why is this vital? Every day
that passes, we are getting closer to the return of JESUS to rapture or remove
those who have been born-again from earth. Now, is our opportunity to tell
others the Good News of salvation through faith in JESUS.
Let’s read Genesis 17:1-11: (Name Change)
Genesis 17:1: When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying,
“I am God Almighty. Live[a] in my presence and be blameless. 2 I
will set up my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you greatly.”
3 Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him: 4 “As
for me, here is my covenant with you: You will become the father of many
nations. 5 Your name will no longer be Abram;[b] your name will be Abraham,[c] for I will make you the father of many nations. 6 I
will make you extremely fruitful and will
make nations and kings come from you. 7 I will
confirm my covenant that is between me and you and your future offspring
throughout their generations. It
is a permanent covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after
you. 8 And to you and your future offspring[d] I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of
Canaan—as a permanent possession, and I will be their God.”
9 God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you, and your offspring
after you throughout their generations are to keep my covenant. 10 This
is my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you, which you are
to keep: Every one of your males must be circumcised. 11 You
must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the
covenant between me and you.[e]
GOD made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants as
step one in HIS redemptive plan. After the passion of JESUS, the law was
fulfilled which made the way for GOD’S Grace to fall upon all who place their
faith in JESUS. Since HIS passion has been established as the path to eternal
life through the miracle of Spiritual birth into GOD’S eternal family, what
does that mean? When a person accepts JESUS as his/her Savior the miracle of
Spiritual birth takes place in the twinkling of the eye. That person is
Spiritually born into GOD’S eternal Family never to be unborn and become one in
JESUS.
We read in Galatians 3:28:
There is neither Jew nor
Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all
one in Christ Jesus.
The Sacrifice of
Isaac – Genesis 22
Let’s
consider the faith that Abraham had in GOD as written in Genesis 22:1: After these
things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he answered.
2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you
love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt
offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Know this, a burnt
offering meant burning Isaac reducing him to a pile of ashes with the faith in
GOD to restore or resurrect Isaac from those ashes to still be Isaac.)
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey,
and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a
burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On
the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then
Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I
will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham
took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his
hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on
together.
7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”
And he replied, “Here I am,
my son.”
Isaac said, “The fire and the
wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide[a] the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of
them walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about,
Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac[b] and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 Then
Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from
heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
He replied, “Here I am.”
12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him.
For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son
from me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram[c] caught in the thicket by its horns. So, Abraham went and
took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And
Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide,[d] so today it is said, “It will be provided[e] on the Lord’s mountain.”
15 Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a
second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I
have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you
have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I
will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of
the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the
city gates of their[f] enemies. 18 And all the nations
of the earth will be blessed[g] by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”
19 Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went
together to Beer-Sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-Sheba.
JESUS taught that those who
have placed their faith in HIM need only to have the faith the size of a
mustard seed to move mountains. Abraham placed his faith in GOD and so can you!
This is an
interesting and excellent study which covers the in-depth purpose of Abraham
and Isaac at Mt. Moriah
Genesis 22 – Abraham
And Isaac At Mt. Moriah – Plain Truth
Genesis 22/ Abraham /
By kfrances
The carnal
heart must be subdued and transformed,
The Almost
Sacrifice of Isaac
When
Isaac was born Abraham was an old man of 100 years. We might call him ‘ancient
of days’, who had a son who was born by the intervention of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 4) – whereas Ishmael was born according to the
flesh.
Isaac
was not Abraham’s ‘only son;’ the Hebrew word is better translated as
‘precious, unique, one of a kind son’. Hebrews 11:17 calls Isaac ‘the only begotten son.’
The Hebrew word for ‘only begotten’ means special or unique, it has nothing to
do with begetting but rather it has to do with status.
Genesis 22:2, we read the words ‘whom thou lovest,’
again meaning: beloved, only begotten (special, unique) son. These terms
are not by accident, for God was going to use an experience which Abraham and
Isaac were about to encounter to point to the Messiah and the cross. God told
Abraham who was living in Beersheba, to go to the land of Moriah. It was about
45 miles from Beersheba to Moriah, and Abraham made it in three days. Why
Moriah? In 1 Chronicles 21:18, 26, David was instructed to build
an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Why is this significant?
Because, in 2 Chronicles 3:1 we are told that this is the same
place where Solomon’s temple was built…on Mt. Moriah. What was offered in
Solomon’s temple? Sacrifices of animals were offered, that means the very place
that Abraham took Isaac was the place where the sacrificial system was
established. Genesis 22:2, makes is clear that the sacrifice (Isaac)
which Abraham was going to offer was a sacrifice for sin (burnt offering). Cf. Lev. 1:3-4.
Genesis 22:4, tells us how long the ordeal lasted…three
days, and on the third day Abraham saw the place afar off. In verse five, it
states that the lads are a witness to this, who were standing afar off. Wow! When
you read the account of the cross in Mark 15:40-41, there were also people “looking on afar
off”. Verse six describes that the wood was carried by Isaac. Abraham
laid the wood on Isaac his son and had the instruments that would be used to
slay his own son. This is a type of what happened to Jesus who also bore his
wood (Matthew 27:32, John 19:16-17).
See blog titled, ‘Who Really
Carried the Cross of Jesus? By: Ty Benbow. 07.30.3013. Answers in Genesis.
Click on this link to access: https://theplainword.com/who-really-carried-the-cross-of-jesus/
Isaac
inquires the whereabouts of the animal for the offering (v. 7), then in verse
eight – Abraham gives a prophetic answer: God will provide a lamb (a
substitute) for Himself. Abraham bound Isaac to the wood and laid him upon the
altar (v. 9). Isaac did not resist but placed himself in his father’s hands and
said, “your will be done. Abraham raised his hand to slay his son
as a sin offering (v. 10).
Think
about this for a moment, Isaac is there stretched out on the wood, he bore the
wood; and the one that was to slay him was his own father. Therefore we
can conclude that Isaac is a symbol (type) of Christ because he is the only
begotten son (beloved son), who is going to be offered as a sin offering, he
submissively places himself in the hands of his father, is willingness to die
(in figure), and on the third day he resurrected from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19). At the same time, Isaac is
also a symbol of us because he was not actually sacrificed, there was a
substitute offered in the place of Isaac. In verses 11-12, Abraham is stopped
because of his faithfulness and a ram was a substitutionary sacrifice in place
of Isaac (v. 13).
Verse
14. Solomon’s temple was built in a direction from east to west (the west wall
is supposedly there today); in the northeast of the temple was the sheep gate. This
is where they kept the sheep for sacrifices. Geographically, this is the place
where Abraham found this lamb and offered it on Mt. Moriah in Isaac’s stead. This
is the place where Jesus was taken from the sheep gate to die for the sins of
the world which was represented by the temple on Mt. Moriah. Did Abraham
understand that this was more profound than just history? Yes, indeed. John 8:56, record a
conversation Jesus is entertaining with a group of Jewish people and stated
that Abraham understood. Galatians 3:8 also
tells us Abraham understood because the gospel was preached to him. The
Gentiles were justified by faith and God would establish His church – this was
not a New Testament idea!
The fact is,
the gospel was preached to Abraham and the idea that the gospel was going to go
to the nations was already contained in the experience that God gave to Abraham.
What is this story really pointing too? It is interesting that every time in
the book of Genesis that either Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob erects an altar;
immediately after they make the sacrifice – God makes promises. Whenever they
do not raise up an altar, there is always a Messianic prophecy connected with
the promises. Let’s look at four promises that God made to Abraham here in this
story:
1. Abraham and his descendants would have dominion over
their enemies (Genesis 22:17). This is what Adam lost and what
was going to be restored to the ‘seed’. Adam lost dominion over the enemy
in the Garden when he yielded to his voice. At that moment, Adam also
lost dominion over the earth as God’s steward. So, the promised land (not
the little strip of land known as Israel) was understood by Abraham that it was
only a down payment…just a little sample of what God was really
promising. How can we know this? Romans 4:13 says that Abraham would be heir of the
world AND in Hebrews 11 we find that Abraham and all the other
bible hero’s up to Abraham did not consider Canaan their homeland. They
looked for a city who’s builder and maker was God and it says when they left
their country they were searching for a heavenly homeland. Abraham was
not looking for Jerusalem to fill God’s promise. God told Abraham he
would have dominion over all his enemies including the devil and inherit all of
the earth,
2. Promised Abraham that through his ‘seed’ the blessing would
come to counteract the curse,
3. Abraham will have a group
of people (spiritual Israel) that are innumerable like
the stars of heaven,
4. Abraham is not the key figure; he is mentioned as
bringing these things through Jesus who is the key figure. You see, the
devil defeated Abraham in that Abraham was deceitful regarding Sarah, he was a
bigamist, etc. BUT Abraham is the instrument that God uses to bring the ‘seed’ into the
world to recover and restore that which was lost…JESUS.
Parallels:
Matthew 1:18, Jesus was born according to the act
of the Holy Spirit, a child of the Holy Spirit, conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:11, When Jesus was baptized the words were heard
from heaven that said: “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.” This was said again on the mount of transfiguration.
John 3:16 Reference to Jesus as the ‘begotten
son’. As well with Isaac. He is not the only son that the Father
has (for we are sons and daughters), but Jesus is the unique Son, the special
Son, the Son of the promise, the Son through whom all the promises given to
Abraham will be fulfilled.
The
sacrifice of Christ was offered as a burnt offering which had a sweet-smelling
savor to God (Eph. 5:2).
Matthew 12:40, tells us how long the ordeal of Christ
and his Father lasted…three days and three nights.
God the
Father was burdened with the idea of offering up his Son, just as in the Old
Testament story of Isaac.
Jesus
submissively place himself in the hands of his Father. In the Garden of
Gethsemene, Jesus said, ‘My Father if this cup can pass from Me let it be so,
never the less not my will be done but yours’. Three times Jesus said
this.
John 19:17, states that Jesus bore his wooden cross and
was nailed to the wood by his own consent. Who was executing the sentence
upon Christ? Isaiah 53:4, makes clear that God, his own Father,
raised his hand against him (Jesus). The hand of the Father was not
stayed in the case of Jesus as it was with Isaac. Why did Jesus do
this? For our transgressions, our iniquities, and He did this for our
peace and our healing…Jesus is the great substitute (Isa. 53:5). He was the one offered in our place,
so we do not have to suffer the death sentence (second death).
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul says, “For He (God the
Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him” (emphasis added).
By
the way, did you know that when Jesus suffered on the cross that there were
witnesses that watched from afar off? See: Mark 15:40.
What
day of the week did Jesus resurrect? The first day of the week.
What day was the reference of His suffering? The third day. Did
Abraham receive Isaac back resurrected in figure on the third day? Yes,
see Hebrews 11. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Paul says that Jesus rose
(resurrected) on the third day. This was foreshadowed in the story of
Isaac, but also in the story of Jonah when on the third day the fish spewed
Jonah out. Jonah lived in spite of being in that tomb for three days so
to speak. Romans 8:32 tells us the Father spared not his
Son…we can’t image what it was like for the Father to raise his hand against
his own Son. Paul wrote that God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up
for us. At the very center of the story of Abraham and Isaac is
Jesus Christ.
Four
promises to Abraham:
Through
Abraham and his seed dominion would be restored.
Through
Abraham and his seed, the Earth would be recovered.
Through
Abraham and his seed, a blessing would come upon the human race to counteract
the curse.
Through
Abraham and his seed would come a multiplicity of seed which no one can number
would come as a result of Abraham and his seed.
Were
those promises made to the Jewish nation or were they made for the human race
through Jesus? Actually, the promises are centered in Christ. The
Church has missed the point when they focus on literal Israel. The fact
is that Jesus is the one who fulfilled these promises with the whole human race
– not just one people. Prophecy is not centered in Israel it is centered
in Jesus. Notice in Galatians 3:16 the promises are made to Abraham
and his seed. Who is that seed? That seed is Jesus Christ.
This is the reason why Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:20 that the promises of God are in
Jesus.
These
four promises made to Abraham will be fulfilled through Jesus. Luke 1:71-73, Daniel 7:26-27, tells us that Abraham was
promised that he would inherit the world which would ONLY be fulfilled through
Jesus. The meek shall inherit the earth because of Jesus. By the way,
who removed the curse? Galatians 3:13-14 says, we have been saved from
the curse of the law by Jesus. The blessing of Abraham comes to all those
who believe. It is removed by accepting Jesus. Revelation 7:9 states, there will be a great
multitude that cannot be numbered, they have washed their robes in the blood of
the Lamb. These promises are only fulfilled in Jesus Christ and given to
those who believe in Jesus Christ…not a nation. Galatians 3:29 makes are crystal clear, if you are
Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
IT CANNOT BE ANY MORE CLEAR THAN THIS.
What
happened in 1948, the proclamation of the establishment of the state of Israel,
has no prophetic significance because scripture says that ‘all promises are in
Jesus’. Galatians 4:4-7, says to inherit the promises we must
become sons and daughters of God. How do we do this? All those who have
been baptized in Christ have put on Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). We are sons and daughters of God
through Jesus Christ. We become brothers and sisters of Jesus, therefore
we become sons and daughters of God…therefore we inherit all the promises of
God.
Immediately
after Jacob saw that ladder between heaven and earth you find God giving the
promises. What God was teaching was that the promises were going to come
through the Messiah, through the sacrifice, through Him who was truly Jacob’s
ladder, so Jesus was truly represented by Isaac. This is the end of this
writing ----
Back to my writing:
GOD spoke
directly to Abram through visions, and the way HE spoke to the prophets. Has
GOD spoken to you? If so, how did you know it? It is awesome, distinctive, and
knowing in a still small voice as HE did with Elijah. In general, HE speaks in ways
the person will listen to HIM, which are numerous.
GOD’S redemptive
plan came through the passion of JESUS. GOD still reveals Himself to all people
today. This study is the foundation for a person’s faith through the passion of
JESUS through faith in JESUS. Faith in JESUS is the only way any person can be
Spiritually Born into GOD’S eternal family. FATHER, here I am as I am, please redeem
me from my sins by the shed blood of Jesus, my faith in JESUS and the miracle
of being “born Spiritually into YOUR eternal Family and Kingdom.
Once we
become GOD’S Son or Daughter through the miracle of Spiritual Birth, we are
still building our relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS. It is an
awesome and eternally rewarding journey of learning, building trust and taking
steps of faith, which continues to build our faith.
AMEN
WITH BLESSINGS AND HAPPY JOURNEY!!!
