God's Covenant with Abraham

1. How does the context inform the meaning of this passage? Please consider: a) the literary context (passages before and after the passage), b) the historical context (circumstances of the audience), and c) the biblical context (citations/allusions or historical connections to other books that the author is making).

Literary Context:

10 years has passed since and the call and sending of Abraham to Canaan.

It would seem that not much more progress has been made on God’s call and promised blessings that he said he would unfold.

Abraham is now 85 years old and his faith in God’s plans is being tested.

During the 10 years, a famine hits the land and he doesn’t trust that God will provide for him in the land of Canaan so he goes to Egypt.

NOTE: Egypt in Scripture often times represents the place we go to when we are fearful that God will not fulfill his promises.

He lies about Sarai being his wife and tells her to tell the King that she is his sister (Half Truth) because he was fearful that they would kill him to get her if they knew she was his wife.

Later, tensions breakout between the Abraham’s clans and Lots’ clans and in an effort to avoid the conflict, he gives Lot his choice of the land (This doesn’t sound like someone who is deeply concerned about promise of this land by God. Clearly Lot is not interested in this “Call” that Abraham has and finds the land closest to the two major cities in the region to be attractive…reminds him of home I suppose.

War breaks out between the kings of this land and Abraham gets involved to protect Lot’s live (Perhaps, this is a PTSD moment that he was reliving concerning the death of his younger brother Haran in Ur.)

Lot goes right back to Sodom any way.

Even so, we have this engagement at the end of Chapter 14 where the King of Sodom and Melchizedek, King of Solomon and High Priest. The picture is of Abram acting as the king of a land he does not yet possess and he is giving tithes to Melchizedek, who prefigures Christ and His High Priestly office he bares as king.

So summing up, Abram has not made much progress in the blessings that were to unfold yet, in his finite ability, he is acting as the king of the land that he doesn’t yet own.

Historical Context:

Since we know that Moses was writing this account for the benefit of a wandering nomadic Israel who we heading back to the land that God promised Abraham, then what Moses was doing is showing them that their wandering is not purposeless.

Genesis is an apologetic written by Moses that God inspired him to write so that he might show Israel more of the unfolding redemptive work of God.

Biblical Context:

Theological context is ‘covenant.’

2. How has the author organized this passage? Please a) show the structure in sections with verse references and b) explain what strategies you used to see this structure.

The Lord engages Abram in a way that he has not - “Do not be afraid” - this is a reference to the last 10 years of discouragement he was probably feeling for leading his family into this unknown land and has little to nothing to show for it yet.

12:10-14:24 - This is the precursor for God’s Covenant

15:1 - Invitation to God to Abram to bring his discouragement and doubt to him.

15:2-3 Abram sharing his doubt and discouragement with God.

15:4-5 - God reaffirms his promises to Abram and adds that his heir will be of his own body & They will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.

15:6 - Credited righteousness of Abraham.

15:7- Abraham wants assurance from God.

15:8-21 - God’s makes a covenant with Abraham to assure him of his eternal promises.

3. Drawing on your work to this point, state the author’s aim for his audience (in one short sentence).

The author’s aim is to show that God has not forgotten his plans and promises and he covenants with Abraham in order to show him.

4. What parts of this passage connect to the gospel of Jesus Christ? What part of the gospel is in view?

Abraham’s belief is the means by which God credited righteousness to him. - ;

God covenants with Abraham but this is not typical agreement. This agreement is established, ratified and upheld by God alone! - Ephesian 1:3-14

5. Drawing on your work to this point, what conclusion will you argue to your audience (in one short sentence)? What applications will you make for your audience?

Conclusion: In the same way that God credited righteous to Abram b/c of his faith, those in Christ now live with confidence in the reality gap because we too are justified by faith alone!

Applications

Doubts and discouragements are very real for God’s people but God is not annoyed by them.

We are justified by faith alone BUT not a Faith that is alone!

Our Faith is grounded in the unmerited transfer of God’s righteous work through his Son.

6. What is your sermon title and your preaching outline?

TITLE: God’s Covenant with Abraham

PREACHING OUTLINE:

The Fellowship of God in our Doubt & Discouragement -

The Faithfulness of God who guarantees His Blessing -

INTRODUCTION -

Illustration:

Theme:

THE CONTEXT of

By the time we get to , years has lapsed since God originally came to Abraham in and commanded him to go to Canaan and gave him the 3 fold blessing of Land, Seed, & Promise. In one sense, lots has unfolded in the life Abram and in another sense, not much of anything has unfolded.

Consider that God had promised to bless Abram with the Land, a propagation of a seed by making him a great nation and make him a blessing to all the nations of the earth. If you do a quick scan over these 3 chapters, we don’t see much in way of God making good on his promises and blessings do we?

What we see is a man who is living in a land that he doesn’t really know much about with many other people inhabiting the land and waring for control of the land. We see Abram not trusting that God can care for him and his family in Canaan and thus he goes off to Egypt with his wife to find care outside of God’s provision. His fear is almost crippling. He lies about Sarai being his wife to protect his own hide. None the less, God protects him and even prospers him! WHAT?!

When he comes back to Canaan, conflict breaks out between he and Lot’s tribe and they split up the land. Lot is bent on having the land with the fast living and decadent delights of cities like Sodom and Gamorah. As war is breaking out in the land, Abram rescues Lot from danger only to see him run back to his own interests.

Yet, in spite of this chaotic life that Abram finds himself in, the picture end in Chap. 14 with Abram acting as the King of a land that he doesn’t possess. Yet, God sends to him a peculiar King, Melchizedek who is also a priest of God Most High. We don’t know anything about him but we know that His priesthood is one that is not inherited but bestowed upon him. BUT what we need to clue in here is that God has not left Abram to wonder alone. The Priestly offering of Bread and Wine is loaded with Biblical imagery. We know it as NT Christians as the sacrament that represents God’s ongoing fellowship with is people that was secured by His Son Jesus. -

We will return to this later. For now, let jump into our text for today.

SERMON OUTLINE

The Fellowship Of God in our Doubt and Discouragement. - v.1-6

Notice how God approaches Abram - ‘Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be great.’

The Faithfulness of God who is the Guarantor of all His Promises - v.7-21

The Faithfulness of God who is the Guarantor of all His Promises - v.7-21