24 Years Have Passed Since the Initial Promise
Obedience Means Do What? Page 1
Genesis 17 September 22, 2011
Abram is 99
24 years have passed since the initial promise
Would you or I have waited for anything since 1987?
Thirteen years have elapsed since chapter 16
God has not spoken to Abram since chapter 15
God has delayed His promise due to:
______
______
Walking in the______rather than in the______
Impatience
What happens when we move outside the will of God?
The hardest part of walking is______
Abram tried to cut corners and do it his way.
Moses began to deliver the people, committed murder and waited for 40 years
King Saul was put on the shelf
Psalm 62:1–2
My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.
Psalm 69:3
I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
Isaiah 64:4
For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
Micah 7:7
But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
Jude 20–21
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
2 Corinthians 12:7–9
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord
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three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
God always answers our prayers
Yes
No
Not now
The key is______. Abram is unable to do anything at this point in his life to fix the situation
Romans 4:19
Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb…
The key for us as well
Psalm 107
A new name for God
El Shaddai – ______
Two commands
Walk
Be perfect
Two promises
Reaffirming the covenant
Multiplication
Worship
El Shaddai
Used 48 times in the OT
31 times in Job without the El
9 times in the Torah
6 times in Genesis
5 of the six times used in connection with the promise of prosperity
When the high father was ninety nine years old, the I AM (YHWH) came to see him face to face to inspect him and said I am the most powerful all sufficient God who has the power to complete promises of blessing and prosperity…
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About the commands:
Walk before me
Behave or walk with your face______
The implication is this is to be a lifestyle
…and be blameless
Be perfect without any blemish, without any imperfection, complete, sound
Again, a lifestyle
Matthew 5:48
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Three Tenses of Salvation
I have been ______
Romans 3:23–24
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus…
I am being______
Romans 12:2
I will be______
Romans 8:29–30
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Abram considered himself to be…
Too old
Too disobedient
Passed over
On the shelf
In time out
Now God can use him because…
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While worshipping God continues to talk to Abram
Important point for us
Do______while we worship?
Look what God says while Abram worships
God shows up and reminds Abram, we have a deal here.
In fact God says
I will – seven times
…my covenant – nine times
…everlasting covenant – three times
…the covenant between me and you - once
A multitude of nations
Israel, Judah, Edom, actually a bit more
A name change
FromAbram to Abraham – ______
Much more – the addition of the heh to the name
Heh – breath, the breath of God, the Holy Spirit
Genesis 17:5
“No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.”
The Hebrew word for nations is goyim
This is saying that Gentile nations will also be coming from Abraham
This is a new promise
In verse six a reemphasis on gentile nations as a result of Abraham
And kings…how about the King of Kings
God will make many nations form Abraham
But the covenant will only be with one nation
And it will all be their land
Abraham has been face down worshipping and listening to God
Imagine what is going through his heart at this time
Now comes the tough part______
God has just said seven times what He will do, now it is time for Abraham’s response.
Genesis 17:10
“This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.”
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The Sign of the Covenant will be…
Very personal
Very individual
A daily reminder to the leadership of the nation
A reminder to the wives of the nation of the commitment of God
A reminder to the wife of that their husband belonged to God and as such their household and family were under His protection
The cutting of the foreskin spoke of the need for ______from the world and the sins of the flesh.
This would also be a constant reminder whenever done that this is a blood covenant
Disobedience means being put out.
Circumcision was a______of, not______of the covenant
Baptism is a sign of, not the source of, our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Romans 4:9–12
Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.
A name change for Sarai too – now she is Sarah.
Since she would be the mother of the King of Kings as well as Kings, it is only natural to change her name to______.
The______in the scriptures to have her name given by God
The natural reaction to the promises and blessings of God – laughter.
This is not unbelief, but joy.
Abraham is told, clearly, that Ishmael is not the covenant son but Sarah would bear that son.
Is this any different than how we pray? God bless this mess I made, and this one, and this one too.
God’s intent, from creation, one man and one woman
The name of the son – Isaac - laughter
Abraham did not waste any time about obedience Page 6
His obedience ______
Our Takeaways
- Even the Father of faith had times of doubt, yet God remains faithful.
- The Lord answered Abraham’s prayer very specifically, He does the same today.
- Do not look at our impossible situations, but look to the God who makes the impossible possible.
- Obedience is immediate.