The Gospel in the Old Testament

If you have your Bible open up to the book of Genesis and we will start in the 12th chapter. For the last few weeks we have been in the Book of Genesis and we have looked at the creation,

we have looked at the curse, we have seen a catastrophe, and last week we looked at the confusion. Today we are going to look at the Covenant.

Lets recap from last week so that I can tie it into this week. Last week we saw that the whole world was gathered together at the Tower of Babel in the first world wide apostacy. It was a full blown rebellion where we see Satans first Anti-Christ. The tower that they were building was a Ziggurat where astrology and witchcraft was practiced and taught to all the people in the world during that time. Remember that babel would eventually become Babylon and Babylon is the the birthplace of all false religion.

Remember the devil is no opposed to religion, in fact the opposite is true, he much rather have a

world filled with false religion more than he would a nation full of Atheist.

He would much rather be worshipped, and he receives worship in many different names.

In the Bible times He recieved worship under the name of Baal and Asherah.

He recieved worship under the name of Baal and Asherah.

During the Greek times he recieved in under the name of Zeus or Poseidon.

In Roman Times under the name of Jupiter, Neptune or Mars.

During Egyptian times under the name Ra.

During the days of the barbarians under the name Odin, Thor or Loki.

Today the devil recieves worship under any name of the Hinduism, New Age religion,

or under the name of Allah.

You say well that’s harsh. Not if its true. Just to give you a little background with the religion of Islam, the second biggest religion in the world.

In their book Unveiling Islam. Ergun and Emir Caner describe the visions that Mohammad first recieved that we now know as the Quran.

Read first account from book page 41 read!! Talks about it having death.

After he recieved this Revelation who he said was the angel Gabrielle.

Mohammad fell into depression and even became suicidal.

After this encounter with the so called Angel Gabriel. Mohammad was afraid of the true source of the revelation

believing that He himself was now demon possessed. It was his wife Khadija (Huh-dee-juh) that convinced him the the vision came from the angel Gabriel. He became despondent tand sought solace Mount Hira, Here the prophet experienced the dark night of the soul and contemplated jumping off the mountain

After that first revelation he would not have another revelation for another three years. He often thought himself to be demon possessed. He would go into terrible convulsions.

Listen to one account of his episodes in the book Life of the Prophet by MH Haykal.

READ From book page 44

I don’t know about you but none of that sounds like the God of the bible. I never remember reading about any of the Prophets in the Bible questioning rather or not they had heard from God or the Devil.

\ never read about any of them becoming suicidal except for jonah, but that was because he was walking in disobedience

Again all false religions come out of babel, they can all find their roots right here in the tower of babel.

Paul begining in the Book of Romans writes

Romans 1:16–17 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:16

ROMANS 1:16-17

The gospel is the power of salvation for everyone, TO THE JEW FIRST AND THEN TO THE GENTILE.

SO HERE WE SEE THERE IS A TRUE FAITH, A TRUE SALVATION THAT FINDS ITS ANSWER IN THE Lord Jesus Christ… do you see that apart “ the righteousness of God is revealed.... So there has been this unfolding of this great story,,,,

from faith for faith… a better translation would be from faith to faith.

That is a Faith that came from the Jews and has now made it to the gentiles. You say who are the Gentiles well if you are not a Jew you are a Gentile.

Paul continues

He writes about the wrath of God that is revelaeved from heaven because the people during the time of babel, chose to reject truth, supress truth and became futile in their thinking.....

ROMANS 1:21-23

Romans 1:21–23 ESV

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Romans 1:

So at Babylon the Bible tells us the reason not only why there are different languages, but why there are different religions. False religion, that deceive and entice men.

Man is inherently religious. We were made to worship, serve and love God but we have an enemy.

So how do we know we have the right religion. Well the Bible makes it clear and this man is very important in scripture and he is revealed right after the Tower of Babel.

And His name is Abraham. So while all the peoples of the earth reject the true God and they disperse throughout the world.

God finds a man named Abraham that was a righteous man. And the reason he was righteous is because He believed God

Transition to Abraham-

Now interestingly enough three of the worlds most dominant religions all trace their roots back to Abraham. Judaism, Islam and Christianity all trace through roots back to Abraham.

Christianity came out of Judaism and Judaism traces its roots back to Abraham through Abrahams Son Isaac. Who was the Son of Promise.

But Islam Traces its roots back to Abraham through another one of Abrahams Sons on that he had with a slave girl named Hagar and the son was named Ishmael and the Arab peoples.

GENESIS 11:27-30

Genesis 11:27–30 ESV

Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

-=30

Now do you see that in verse 30? Sarai is barren. That is very important because We are about to see the promise and the promise revolves around a son. And ultimately your promise and my Promise also lies in a son and His name is Jesus. Now lets fast forward a couple of chapters to chapter 17

Genesis 17:1–7 ESV

When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 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. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

Genesis 17:1-

God here is changing Abram name from Abram to Abraham. And so in the Hebrew language there are no vows, what is being Added is the letter “H”

This letter is the key part in the Hebrew word for Spirit in the Old Testament, which is the same word for breath or Spirit.

What is happening here is that God is moving on this man in a verh Special way. The S[pirit is moving on Him

Get personal- Has the Spirit of God ever moved on you like this? Have you ever had that special time with the Lord where He breathes on you.

Where He changes you? Have you had those times when you were not just responding but you were being summoned by the Almighty.

Can I tell you that those times are few and far between, and

If today he is summoning you answer that call and let the Almighty change you.

When God changes the name of Abrahams grandson Jacob. Jacob means “supplanter” that is one who schemes and plots to take another persons role”. And he was that guy. He was a liar, a manipulator, a schemer. And he gets to the end of Himself and he has a wrestling match with god. With the Lord jesus Christ, and wrestles with the Lord all night long. Have you ever wrestled with God? I imagine there are some people wrestling about decisions that you know are ungodly, things that you know are going to cause harm? Wrestling with shame or sin. And when morning broke Jacob demands that God bless him. his blessing came through a dislocated hip when the Lord touched it. he walked with a cane for the rrest of His life, but that day His name was changed from Jacob- the manipulater, the Schemer, To Israel, whom the country is now named and Israel means “Prince of God.”

When God changes the name of Abrahams grandson Jacob.

Jacob means “supplanter” that is one who schemes and plots to take another persons role”. And he was that guy.

He was a liar, a manipulator, a schemer. And he gets to the end of Himself and he has a wrestling match with god. With the Lord jesus Christ, and wrestles with the Lord all night long.

Have you ever wrestled with God? I imagine there are some people wrestling about decisions that you know are ungodly, things that you know are going to cause harm? Wrestling with shame or sin. Have you ever been broken over your sin? If you have not I doubt very seriously you have ever been truly saved

And if your sin doesn’t break your heart even when you sin you are probably not saved

And when morning broke Jacob demands that God bless him. his blessing came through a dislocated hip when the Lord touched it. he walked with a cane for the rest of His life, but that day

His name was changed from Jacob- the manipulater, the Schemer, To Israel, whom the country is now named and Israel means “Prince of God.”

You see when God changed the name He changed the heart.

He went from having an orphan mentality and just always surnving and plotting and scheming to a prince mentality where he knew who he was in Christ and who He belonged to.

Went from Orphan to a Prince. Are you born again? Do you have a new name written in the Lambs book of Life?

Covenant of Grace/ God chose

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive A. The Promise

A. The Promise

First of all, I want you to notice the promise in the first three verses. The Bible says that God is going to make a covenant, in verse 2, between God and Abraham. (Genesis 17:2) And as we can study in other places in the Bible, and can even see here, it is an unbreakable covenant. It is an unchangeable covenant. It is an immutable covenant. It is a promise that will last unconditionally. Sometimes God makes promises that are conditional promises. That is, God says, “If you’ll do this, I’ll do that; if you don’t do this, I won’t do that.” But this is an unconditional covenant promise that God has made.

This is not a question of picking the right religion for you, like people pick the right drapes for their windows. This is about what god chose and who he chose. From all the people of the world during that time.

He found a man named Abraham chose him and made a covenant with him. An unconditional covenant of grace. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.

People get so wrapped up with the Old testament law. Should we do this or do that? Should we keep the Sabbath, Should we keep the Ten Commandments. Should we be Christians and try to be Jewish. Listen Moses wouldn’t come until anotther 400 years later. The Promise was a promise of Blessings. And it was a covenant established in grace. Here Abraham doesn’t do anything . All Abraham does is fall on his face!

Verse

Genesis 17:7

Genesis 17:8 ESV

And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

Genesis 17:6–7 ESV

6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive I. Strong Faith Releases the Grace of God

Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to the cross I cling.

—AUGUSTUS M. TOPLADY

Grace is unmerrited favor with God. How does someone recieve grace? Through faith. if you begin to work for it, if you begin to pay for it , its no longer grace

Remember Sarai is baren, but yet God has promised to make Him the progenitor of a great nation.

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive I. Strong Faith Releases the Grace of God

You see, and if by grace, it’s no longer works, otherwise work is no more work; and, if by work, no more grace, otherwise grace is no more grace. This is what the Bible says. You can’t mix grace and works, so the only way that grace can be grace is through faith—the only way that grace can be grace.

You see when you understand grace, and you understand the beauty and the simplicity of the Gospel , the grace of God will wip away the shame and puts to rest pride.

I. A Special Person

A. His Birth Was Prophesied

Ladies and gentleman, the very first point of this message is what I want to call a special person—a special person. Isaac was a special person, because Isaac prefigured the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I don’t have time for a deep Bible study, but if you’re taking notes, let me just list three or four things for you. Did Isaac picture the Lord Jesus Christ?

A. His Birth Was Prophesied

B. He Was Born of a Miracle

A. His Birth Was Prophesied

Well, first of all, in Genesis chapter 18, beginning in verse 9, his birth was prophesied (). Isaac was a son of promise, as was the Lord Jesus Christ. Both births were promised and prophesied.

C. His Birthday Was Preset

B. He Was Born of a Miracle

B. He Was Born of a Miracle

D. He Was Named Before He Was Born

Secondly, Isaac was born of a miracle. It took a miracle for Isaac to be born. He was conceived of a miracle. He was conceived in the womb of Sarah when Sarah’s womb was dried up. She had passed the time of having children, and God had to say to Abraham and Sarah, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” ()—Genesis chapter 18, verse 14, that we preached on last Sunday. He was conceived by a miracle; a son of promise, he was a son of miracle.

C. His Birthday Was Preset

E. He Was His Father’s Beloved Son

D. He Was Named Before He Was Born

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive Outline

Introduction

I. A Special Person

A. His Birth Was Prophesied

B. He Was Born of a Miracle

C. His Birthday Was Preset

D. He Was Named Before He Was Born

E. He Was His Father’s Beloved Son

II. A Specific Place

III. A Solemn Purpose

IV. A Sacred Promise

Conclusion

II. A Specific Place

His birthday was preset by God’s divine plan. Genesis chapter 21, verses 1 and 2, tell us that Isaac was born at a precise set time according to the plan of Almighty God (). And so it was of our Lord Jesus Christ also: the Son of a miracle birth who was born in the fullness of time, according to Bible prophecy ().

D. He Was Named Before He Was Born

III. A Solemn Purpose

D. He Was Named Before He Was Born

Isaac was named before he was born—in Genesis chapter 17 and verse 19 (). God had already selected his name. The Lord Jesus was named before He was born—Matthew chapter 1 and verse 21 ().

IV. A Sacred Promise

E. He Was His Father’s Beloved Son

Rogers, A. (2017). An Old Testament Calvary. In Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (). Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust.

Conclusion

II. A Specific Place-

“Take your son, and there, in a place I will tell you—one of the mountains that I will tell you of—and there he will die” ().

My friend, I want you to know that Calvary has been in the heart and mind of God for a long time. Luke chapter 23 and verse 33 takes on more significance when we read of Jesus’ death: “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him” (). Do you know where Calvary is? Mount Moriah, my friend: the same place.

Rogers, A. (2017). An Old Testament Calvary. In Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (). Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust.

III. A Solemn Purpose- GEN 22:4-5

Genesis 22:4–5 ESV

4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”

Genesis 22

There were some places that the Father and the Son had to go alone

In Gethsemene. Jesus trold the Disciples wait here while I commune with the Father

Can you imagine what was going through the minds of both

God will Provide Himself a Lamb

Isaac could have overpowered his Father but He willingly laid down His Life

Conclusion

Conclusion

THE SACRED PROMISE- GOD WILL PROVIDE HIMSELF A LAMB- vERSE 7 AND 8

gOD HIMSELF WOULD ONE DAY PROVIDE HIMSELF.

HOHN THE BAPTISE CRIDED OUR

Genesis 22:1-

Genesis 22:1–14 ESV

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Genesis 22:4 ESV

On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.

On the Third Day Abraham lifted up His eyes and saw. Threee days until the Ressurection

Genesis 22:6 ESV

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.

God’s son would also carry his wood- He would carry His own cross

Genesis 22:66

Genesis 22:7 ESV

And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

Where is the Lamb Daddy?

God will provide himself a Lamb

Mt Moriah is the same place as Mt Calvary. The very place where God told Abraham to sacrifice His son would be the very same place that 2000 years later God would sacrifice his son for the soins of an entire world

Genesis 22:12 ESV

He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

Your only son for me

THE LORD WILL PROVIDE

Genesis 22:13–14 ESV

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Genesis 22:13-14

Abraham Laid Him on the Wood