God's Promise

In the past few sessions, we have seen the tragic consequences of sin. One brother murdered another out of jealousy. Humanity became so wicked that God sent a flood of judgment. And people stood in open rebellion against God, refusing to obey His command to spread out; instead, they built a tower to bring glory to themselves (Gen. 11). But we have also seen God’s grace on display each step of the way. God was patiently bringing about His plan to provide redemption to humanity.

Up to this point, God did this through His choosing of individuals like Adam, Abel, Enoch, and Noah. In today’s study, we are going to see the Bible present a shift in the manner in which God deals with the nations of the world. Through one man that God chose to be the Patriarch of a massive family, He established a nation of people He will used to focus His efforts on the nations of the world through, rather than just through individuals.

Thematically the Bible shifted through some very distinct periods of time that we have now seen evidence of. The Bible refers to these as “ages,” or “dispensations.” Although there is some debate over the details of these dispensations, there is general consensus in their overall identity, based on biblical evidence.

“There are four dispensations named or pointed out by the Apostle Paul in Scripture. By taking note of and comparing their identifying characteristics, there are 3 others that are inferred in Scripture.

Four dispensations identified by the Apostle Paul:

1. Patriarchs (Abraham to Moses Eph. 3:5, 9)

2. Law (Moses to Church Gal. 3:17; 4:21-31)

3. Church (from Pentecost to Rapture Eph. 3:2, 9; 1 Thess. 4 + 5)

4. Kingdom (“fullness of times” Eph. 1:10)

The four mentioned by Paul are Patriarchs (Abraham to Moses Eph. 3:5, 9), Law (Moses to Church Gal. 3:17; 4:21-31), Church (from Pentecost to Rapture Eph. 3:2, 9; 1 Thess. 4 + 5), and Kingdom (“fullness of times” Eph. 1:10). Each one recognized:

a change in God’s governing relationship with humanity

a change in man’s responsibility because of it

a corresponding Revelation necessary to understand the changes.

Using the identifying characteristics of these Four Paul referenced, there are then three other identifiable in Scripture.

Three other identifiable “ages/dispensations:”

Innocence (Before sin Gen. 1-3)

Conscience (Start of sin to Flood Gen. 4-8:14)

Civil Government (Flood to Promise Gen. 8:15-11:32)

The three others that are identifiable in Scripture are Innocence (Before sin Gen. 1-3), Conscience (Start of sin to Flood Gen. 4-8:14), and Civil Government (Flood to Promise Gen. 8:15-11:32). Since the future Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom once established, the eternal state would remain as part of the kingdom administration.

The only period of time that remains (other than small transitional times in between) would be the Tribulation. It is not a full return to Law since Christ has already fulfilled his sacrifice to secure the Covenants, but could be considered that transitional time from Law to the Kingdom. It is also not a part of the church, since the church will be raptured out and the Tribulation is clearly described as Daniel’s 70th-Week for Israel (Dan. 9:24-27). It alone does not seem to fit all of the other characteristics of the other clear dispensations. Although not yet convinced, I am growing more comfortable that the Bible presents it as a transitional time during which God brings the reign of sin’s curse that is witnessed by the Law to a close in preparation for ushering in the Kingdom under Christ’s earthly rule. In that, some would include it as part of the Law Age and others, the kingdom Age. I’ll leave that up to you to decide for yourself.

The Seven “Ages/Dispensations” mentioned or evidenced in the Bible in Chronological order:

Innocence (Before sin Gen. 1-3)

Conscience (Start of sin to Flood Gen. 4-8:14)

Civil Government (Flood to Promise Gen. 8:15-11:32)

Patriarchs (Abraham to Moses Eph. 3:5, 9)

Law (Moses to Church Gal. 3:17; 4:21-31)

Church (from Pentecost to Rapture Eph. 3:2, 9; 1 Thess. 4 + 5)

Kingdom (“fullness of times” Eph. 1:10)

Question: In the flow of history we have been looking at in this chronological study along with what we are going to be reading about today, God and His promise to Abraham, which “age or dispensation” is ending and which one do you see us entering into in Gen. 12?

In this session we will see God’s plan take a sizeable step forward to this next Dispensation with the call of Abraham. We will see that God works in ways that are different from ours and that He is wise—He knows the best possible means to bring His plan to pass. Each dispensation acts as building blocks throughout time upon which the next dispensation is laid. We will also see that God is not just trying to bring about what He has promised but that He is also working to produce faith and dependence in His people as well, for their good and His glory.

Session Outline

1. God’s covenant people are established with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-4).

2. God’s covenant people are to trust His promises (Gen. 15:1-6).

3. God’s covenant people are to be set apart for His glory (Gen. 17:1-10).

Main Point: God established a covenant people as a vehicle to bless the entire world.

Christ Connection

God promised Abraham that the world would be blessed through his descendants. Jesus Christ is the promised descendant of Abraham through whom salvation flows to the rest of the world.

Next Slide: Missional Application

Because we have been made a part of God’s blessing that would come through Abraham’s family of faith through the receiving of the Bible and Jesus Christ, we live as people through whom God’s blessings may flow to the world.

What do these 4 people have in common?

Albert Einstein

Emily Dickinson

Walt Disney

Tony Gwynn

Introduction

Instruct: These were “ordinary” people who overcame to do the extraordinary.

· No one expected much from him. After all, he couldn’t even speak fluently until he was nine years old, proving that he lacked perhaps even a normal mental capacity. His later expulsion from school and rejected admittance into polytechnic school only furthered his fate to be ordinary. But none of this stopped Albert Einstein from becoming one of the greatest scientists the world has ever seen on his way to winning the Nobel Prize. 1

· She was the quintessential struggling writer. During her lifetime, she penned over 1,800 letters and poems, but less than twelve were published. Surely this writer would drift away into obscurity. But today, Emily Dickinson is one of the more beloved writers in the literary world. 2

· At the age of 22, he was fired from the newspaper where he worked for “not being creative enough,” and then one of his first attempts to make it on his own failed, going bankrupt. Few, if anyone, would have expected Walt Disney to achieve any level of success, let alone winning thirty-two Academy Awards. 3

· As a college baseball player, this outfielder was considered to be an “extremely average” hitter by professional scouts, and the belief was that he would need to shift to the infield if he had any chance to make it. Few would have expected Tony Gwynn to lead the league in batting eight times, win five Gold Gloves in the outfield, and be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. 4

DDG (p. 66).

“There is something that draws us into stories of people who overcome all odds, even great failure, to defy all expectations and succeed. We like the idea of “ordinary” people doing the extraordinary. Perhaps because that is how most of us see ourselves, as an ordinary person longing to make a difference in the world.

Summarize: We can work hard and hope for a lucky break to make a difference, but perhaps there is another way, a way that is outside of ourselves. In this session we will see that God works in ways that are different from ours and that He is wise—He knows the best possible means to bring His plan to pass.

“Greatness is not about what we can do in ourselves but a matter of faith and obedience to the call and promises of God to do in Him what is the impossible.”

Point 1: God’s covenant people are established with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-4).

Say: The fall in the garden of Eden was among the darkest moments in the history of the world. But even then, God brought light and hope with the promise of an offspring who would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). Every generation after the exile from Eden waited in expectation for that child to be born, but one after another, each generation returned to the ground still waiting. And then the Lord spoke to Abram.

Read Genesis 12:1-4 (DDG p. 67).

1 The Lord said to Abram:

Go out 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 through you.

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.

Say: These verses record the Abrahamic covenant—an everlasting covenant that God made with a man whom many believe was a worshiper of pagan gods when God first spoke to him.

Ask for answers (p. 67):

What were three things Abram was to leave behind (v. 1)?

God called on Abram to take a step of faith. Abram was to leave three things (v. 1):

· His land

· His relatives

· His father’s house

2. What were the three greater things that he would gain if he did (v. 2-3)?

If Abram obeyed and stepped out in faith, God would do three things for him (vv. 2-3):

· Make him into a great nation

· Make his name great

· Bless him and make him a blessing to the world

Commentary: It might be difficult for us to appreciate the gravity of this calling. We live in a mobile society with much looser connections to family. But for Abram, this was a calling to leave everything he knew. His identity. His security. His life as he knew it. But God’s considerable calling did not come without considerable promises. If Abram trusted God, He would give Abram all that he was leaving but to a greater degree. Still, God was inviting Abram to leave what he had for what God promised to do in the future. And in that moment, Abram would have to decide whether or not he trusted this God whom he just met.

Remember what we have said before:

“The world will always take more from you than it will ever give you; however, God will always give more to you than you could ever surrender to Him.”

Interact: Ask your group the following question.

How should knowing the character of God impact our trust and obedience?

we can live the struggle of holy lives in Christ with full assurance of God’s eternal reward;

when we fall in sin, we can come once again to our Father through Christ for forgiveness and strength to get up and walk again;

obeying God’s call, no matter how difficult and uncomfortable, is the best and good thing for us

Look at the Bible passage. How many times do you see “I will” phrases from God?

How many “you will” phrases about Abraham?

God was establishing a unilateral covenant with Abram, one He would accomplish on behalf of Abram (“I will”) if only he would trust him and take the step of faithful obedience to go where He led him.

As we consider what God called Abram to do that day, we should pause and consider how clear God was about...

The nature of the covenant relationship He was establishing.

This was a unilateral covenant.

Repeatedly God said, “I will.” Only once did He utter “you will” to Abram, and that was in the context of what God would do through the patriarch, not what he was to do for Him.

This covenant would depend solely on God and was without condition.

God was going to accomplish it. Giving Abram a new land, growing a nation, and blessing him was God’s project, not Abram’s.

It would be strictly an act of grace, and that through faith.

DDG (p. 67).

God was determined to bless Abram through a covenant relationship, but the blessing God was promising to give Abram was not intended to end with him; it was a means to an end.

Abram would benefit from God’s blessing, but he was to be a conduit of blessing, not its final recipient.

God was going to bless Abram so he could, in turn, bless the whole world.

Beyond just the scope of this covenant for the nation of Israel and based on the nature of God’s unchanging character, how might this be true for the children of God today as well

Whom has God placed in your life for you to be His conduit of blessing? How can you be a blessing to this person? (be prepared to give answers of your own to jump-start the conversation)

God establishes His covenant people through Abraham and they are to trust His Promises.

Point 2: God’s covenant people are to trust His promises (Gen. 15:1-6).

Abraham’s Journey

Abram went as the Lord had told him.

He initially left Ur with his father (Acts 7:2-3), and then he left his father’s house in Haran to travel on to Canaan.

Abram reached and sojourned in this promised land.

Furthermore, he had experienced God’s protection and His blessing in material wealth.

But there was still one part of God’s covenant that he had yet to experience, and it was beginning to gnaw at him.

Read: Genesis 15:1-6 (DDG p. 68).

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? ” 3 Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in 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 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.

“After these events” (v. 1) refers to Abram’s successful battle against some kings of the area to rescue his nephew Lot (Gen. 14).

Then God spoke to Abram in a vision to remind him of His faithfulness and protection, but Abram responded with doubt because he had not yet been blessed with a son.

So he resigned himself to having a slave in his home be his “heir.” (Refer to the first paragraph on DDG p. 68.)

In an effort to help God out, Abram offered up a slave in his home to be his promised “heir.”

Like Abram…Sometimes we mistake God’s...

Sometimes we mistake God’s apparent inactivity for His inability.

What are ways we help or are tempted to “help” God out like Abraham did?

God responded in mercy and grace to Abram’s doubt and resignation.

No, Eliezer would not be Abram’s heir. God would give him a son from his own body. And then the Lord took Abram outside and invited him to count the stars (DDG p. 68).

As Abram gazed into the expanse of God’s creation and was reminded of the capabilities of his Creator, he believed God would do what He said He would do.

God credited that belief to him as righteousness. And Abram’s faith has been the model for all believers since—

Salvation with God comes by grace through faith.

In the New Testament, Paul, James, and the author of Hebrews pointed to the patriarch as the archetype of our faith in Christ (see Rom. 4; Gal. 3; Heb. 11:8-19; Jas. 2:14-26). When Abram placed one foot in front of the other in obedience to God’s calling in Genesis 12, he was demonstrating faith. In this moment under the starry night, he believed God could do the impossible, and on the basis of his faith in the word and promises of God, righteousness was credited to him.

And like Abram, when we trust in the promises of God—the gospel—we are credited with Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). We come to God broken and unworthy, but by faith, He accepts us nonetheless as obedient and worthy because of Christ.

Fill in the blanks: DDG (p. 68).

“God Is Faithful: God’s faithfulness means He keeps His word and always fulfills His promises. We reflect God’s image by keeping the promises we make to Him and to others (DDG p. 68).”

Essential Doctrine “God Is Faithful”: God’s faithfulness means He keeps His word and always fulfills His promises

1 Corinthians 1:9 NASB95

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Tim. 2:13

2 Timothy 2:13 NASB95

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

1 Pet. 4:19

1 Peter 4:19 NASB95

Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

From these verses we can safely conclude...

God’s faithfulness is most clearly demonstrated by the provision of His Son Jesus Christ, is not dependent upon our own faithfulness but rather His character, and is always and ultimately what is right. We can count on God’s Faithfulness.

God’s faithfulness is demonstrated in His fulfillment of the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The apostle Paul linked the attribute of “faithful” to God’s coming through on His word:

1 Thess. 5:24

1 Thessalonians 5:24 NASB95

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

We reflect God by striving to emulate the very same characteristics of faithfulness that God does.

Voices from Church History,

“What greater rebellion against God, what greater wickedness, what greater contempt of God is there than not believing his promise? For what is this but to make God a liar or to doubt that he is truthful?” –Martin Luther (1483-1546)

God establishes His covenant people through Abraham, are to trust His Promises, and are to be different than the rest of humanity by being set apart for God’s glory. That is what enables them and all God’s family to testify of God as humanity’s only and complete hope.

Point 3: God’s covenant people are to be set apart for His glory (Gen. 17:1-10).

Abram believed God, but his faith was far from perfect. But twenty-four years after God’s initial call to Abram in Genesis 12, God appeared to him again.

Read Genesis 17:1-10 (DDG p. 69).

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I am God Almighty. Live 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; your name will be Abraham, 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 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.

The trajectory of salvation:

Justification must and always comes before sanctification.

Abram, now Abraham, demonstrated God’s sanctifying work in his life in the way he responded to God’s appearance. (v. 3)

God does call a person to Himself as they are and through faith in Him while He gives His people a new identity.

God declares them no longer marked by their sin and disobedience but by His righteousness. This is called justification.

However...

God not satisfied with where one is when He saves them, but rather desires to transform them, translate them from children of darkness to children of light.

There are so many christian circles that seem to border on justifying their present spiritual state as “good enough” because God accepts you as you are.

God loves you too much to leave you just where you are, but wants you to be transformed into something so much more glorious.

God is not content to leave His people where they are. So through the work of Holy Spirit and the purposeful experiences of life, God grows His people and molds them into His image so they will live out their new identity rather than their old identity. This process is called sanctification, where we are sanctified—or made holy—to live more of the way God intends each day. As godliness increases, worldliness decreases.

It is true that at every stage God loves you as you are, but always wants to shape you to be more tomorrow than you are today.

When God reminded Abram of His promise to multiply him (v. 2), he did not balk as he had before. Instead, he fell on his face in God’s presence (v. 3).

Whining had given way to worship.

God had been changing Abram and growing his faith over the years, a process called sanctification.

The result was a deeper faith and growing obedience.

God marked Abram’s changing life with a name change. No longer Abram, now he would be Abraham, “father of a multitude.”

Why do so many feel content to be a mediocre Christian?

Why is it so important to always keep alloyed our understanding of God’s acceptance with our need for continued sanctification and what might be the danger of leaving either out?

Hopefully we all see growth in our faith and obedience, yet there can be times when we take steps backward.

Regardless of where you see yourself on this scale, you must continually remind yourself that your righteousness before God comes simply through faith in Jesus Christ, but God is not content to leave us where we are.

He grows His people for their good and His glory

Our salvation and sanctification serves as a purpose beyond ourselves.

God’s covenant promises are given to a people He changes for a purpose. This was true of Abraham and is true of us as well.

Remember:

“God changes and blesses us so we can be a blessing to the world in the name of Jesus.”

As we read of God changing Abraham, we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture. God was changing and blessing Abraham so that he might become a blessing to the world (Gen. 12:3).

Like Abraham,

God’s plan is to bring blessing to others through His blessings to us.

Notice the subtle change in what God said to Abraham before and after his name change to remind him, and us, of God’s purpose in salvation and sanctification.

In verses 1-6, God spoke of the covenant as being between Him and Abraham.

But following the name change, God spoke of the covenant that was between Him, Abraham, and his future offspring.

God mentioned Abraham’s future offspring five times in verses 7-10. Twice He mentioned that this covenant was permanent (vv. 7,8). This was God’s way of reminding Abraham that he was part of something that didn’t end with him. He was part of a bigger plan, an ongoing plan, a plan to provide redemption to the world.

When we are ignorant of God’s greater purpose in our lives—that He has changed us to be on mission with Him by living out and sharing the gospel—we are in danger of misinterpreting the what, when, and how of God’s actions for us.

God’s bigger plan gives context to what He does in our lives each day.

Without it, we will not understand what is going on, which is the kindling of doubt and distrust in our hearts.

How does God’s plan to use you as part of His story of redemption help you understand what He is doing in your life right now? (the trials, struggles, and events in my life today are shaping me to be more like Christ and to speak the gospel in the lives of others)

My Mission

The story of Abraham reminds us of God’s unending faithfulness, grace, and mercy to take the morally deplorable and make them shining examples of faith.

We need to take this message to heart, because we are the fruit of God’s work through such faithfulness.

God promised Abraham that the world would be blessed through his descendants—namely, through Jesus. It was through Christ that salvation flowed to the rest of the world, including us. And just like Abraham, we are not the final destination of God’s blessings.

We too are to be conduits of His blessings to the rest of the world as we live out our purpose as instruments of reconciliation.

Because we have been made part of Abraham’s family of faith through Christ, we live as people through whom God’s blessings is meant to flow to the rest of the world.

· What promises of God do you need to believe in because you know God is faithful?

· Who are some people in your community that your group can seek to bless on an ongoing basis?

· What are some ways you can share with others the blessings of faith in Christ this week?

References

1. Amethyst Tate, “Celebs Who Went from Failures to Success Stories,” CBS News, July 19, 2012, https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/celebs-who-went-from-failures-to-success-stories.

2. Alena Hall, “19 Incredibly Successful People Who Started Out as Failures,” Huffington Post, December 6, 2017, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/16/19-successful-people-who-failed_n_6438868.html.

3. Amethyst Tate, “Celebs Who Went from Failures to Success Stories,” CBS News, July 19, 2012, https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/celebs-who-went-from-failures-to-success-stories.

4. Justin McGuire, “Baseball Scouts Whiffed on These Six Future Hall of Famers,” Sporting News, May 13, 2013, http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/4497526-baseball-scouting-database-scout-reports-hall-of-fame.

5. Martin Luther, On Christian Liberty, trans. W. A. Lambert, rev. Harold J. Grimm (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003) [eBook].

6. A. Boyd Luter Jr., “Genesis,” in The Apologetics Study Bible (Nashville: B&H, 2007), 22-23, n. 12:1.

7. Barnabe Assohoto and Samuel Ngewa, “Genesis,” Africa Bible Commentary, gen. ed. Tokunboh Adeyemo (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 29.

8. Candi Finch, ed., “Genesis,” in The Study Bible for Women, gen. ed. Dorothy Kelley Patterson (Nashville: B&H, 2014), 18, n. 12:4.

9. T. Desmond Alexander, “Genesis,” in ESV Study Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 77, n. 15:1.

10. Robert D. Bergen, “Genesis,” in CSB Study Bible(Nashville: B&H, 2017), 33, n. 15:6.

11. Jesudason Baskar Jeyaraj, “Genesis,” in South Asia Bible Commentary, gen. ed. Brian Wintle (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015), 33.

12. Kenneth A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1bin The New American Commentary(Nashville: B&H, 2006) [WORDsearch].

13. Barnabe Assohoto and Samuel Ngewa, “Genesis,” Africa Bible Commentary, gen. ed. Tokunboh Adeyemo, 35.

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