WINTER QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2011-2012

THEME: GOD ESTABLISHES A FAITHFUL COVENANT PEOPLE

Unit One: Through His Covenant Promises. Lessons 1-4

“GOD’S COVENANT COMMITMENT CONTINUED”

Sunday School Lesson No. II, December 11, 2011

Presented by Rev. Frank Davis, III, Pastor-Teacher

Lesson Text: Genesis 15:1-6, 12-18

Required Reading: Genesis 13 – 15

Memory Text: Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

Reliable Resources: Precepts for Living by UMI; Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator; Libronix Electronic Library; Standard Lesson Commentary; Wilmington’s Bible Handbook

INTRODUCTION

We stated in the introduction to Abraham and his family how God raised him from a place of obscurity. Now we seek to continue the narrative of a faithful servant of God who was simply learning how to live and walk by faith. In our last lesson, Abram received God’s command to leave his comfortable and secure surroundings of family, friends and familiarity. (Read Genesis 12:1-2). Not only was he to leave familiar surroundings, but now he would become a nomad, traveling in search of a land of which he had no idea or concept, except where God would direct him. Hebrews 11:10 says, “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Thus the saga begins, and through this man who was in his 70’s, God would bring about the greatest blessings the world would ever know. God would make a covenant that would bring deliverance to the world through Abraham’s greatest descendant, whom we know as the Lord Jesus Christ! Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Galatians 3:16 tells us, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” Now the covenant of commitment has commenced as we studied in our last outing, and this week we want to note “God’s Covenant Commitment Continued.”

When we left Abram in chapter 12, he had heard God’s call to covenant (vss. 1-3) and stepped out to begin this covenant journey by faith one step at a time by leaving home and walking with God faithfully (vss. 4-9). According to Wilmington, he faced “Famine in Canaan and failure in Egypt.” (12:10-20). Returned “Back to Bethel, the place of blessing.” (13:1-4). He then returned to Bethel but found conflict with his nephew Lot. (13:5-13). God then reaffirmed His covenant promise concerning His seed. (13:14-18). Abram had to rescue Lot from pagan kings (14:1-16), and then made a choice of obedience to God concerning two kings (14:17-24). This brings us to our lesson for this week entitled, “God’s Covenant Commitment Continued.”

Anticipated Power Points:

·  In Spite of the Past. Genesis 15:1-3

·  Insured by God’s Power. Genesis 15:4-6

·  Inheritance Assured by God’s Promise. Genesis 15:7-18

LESSON OUTLINE

I. In Spite of the Past. Genesis 15:1-3

We shared in the introduction that what God had begun in Abram’s past was not affected by Abram’s previous path. Abram’s travel to Egypt when a famine came to Canaan was a step that would bring some problems later (Hagar of Egypt; read chapter 16). But God did not cancel His covenant with Abram, because the basis of the covenant was God’s giving blessings to Abram by grace and not by merit.

A. A vision of assurance. vs. 1

God assures Abram of His protection. (Read Psalm 91:1-7).

B. A voice of adoption. vss. 2-3

Abram undoubtedly realized that Lot was gone, his wife was not getting any younger, his body was not what it used to be, the clock was ticking, and the tradition of his people was that his inheritance would go to a servant born in his house. “Lord, is this the way you will bless my posterity?” In other words, should Abram help God out by using the custom of his day of adopting a servant as his heir?

II. Insured by God’s Power. Genesis 15:4-6

A. The clarity of the Lord. vs. 4

The Bible says three things in Matthew 7:7: “ask…seek…knock!” Abram inquired earnestly and God responded clearly. “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Genesis 12:4 (NKJV). God always gives His people clarity.

B. The counsel of the Lord. vs. 5

God tells Abram to look up and note a visual illustration. Like the stars in the sky, so will the seed of his body be innumerable. His own body seed of promise spoken of in Genesis 12:3 as well as his seed by faith, spoken of later by Paul in Galatians 3:29. (Also read Romans 4:16-22).

C. The confidence of the Lord. vs. 6

God’s words of clarity and counsel spoke faith into the life of Abram, so much so that Abram did what every human needs to do in order to live with Christ: Abraham believed God and it was put into his account for righteousness! “But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” Hebrews 11:6. Beloved, we today must have such unwavering faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and only then can we be assured of God’s power in our lives!

III. Inheritance Assured by God’s Promise. Genesis 15:7-18

Interlude to the lesson: God’s assurance is totally based on His own word. In verse 7, God’s promise is reiterated based on Himself. In verse 8, Abram asks for more clarification. In verses 9-11, God prepares Abram with another visual illustration. This was an ancient symbol of a covenant according to MacArthur. “The sign of ancient covenants often involved cutting in half of animals, so that the pledging parties could walk between them, offering that the same should happen to them if they broke the covenant. May my life (represented by the blood) be poured out if I fail to honor my part.” (Jeremiah 34:18-21)

A. The power to keep the promise rests on God! vs. 12

As sleep fell on Abram, God prepares to answer his question from verse 8.

B. According to H. L. Wilmington God gave Abram his answer in seven prophecies of which all would be fulfilled. Abram’s descendants would:

·  “Be strangers in a foreign land. (Genesis 46:2-4)

·  Be servants in that land. (Exodus 1:7-14)

·  Serve 430 years in that land. (Exodus 12:40)

·  God would judge the nation who enslaved them. Exodus 7 – 12)

·  Abram himself would be spared all of this. (Genesis 25:7-8)

·  After four generations in Egypt, Israel would return to Canaan (Exodus 6:16-20 – Moses was the 4th generation.)

·  Israel would come out of Egypt with great wealth. (Exodus 12:35-36; Psalm 105:37)”

CLOSING

Beloved, thus the Lord continues his covenant commitment with Abraham and by His great track record He will keep His word to you and me. II Peter 3:9 closes this lesson, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA & Little Bethel Baptist Church, Amite, LA

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LOOKING AHEAD: December 18, 2011 Genesis 22:1-2, 6-14

NOTE: SEE AND HEAR PASTOR DAVIS TEACH THE LESSON WEEKLY AT www.thstudyhour.com. Click on Videos!

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“Yesterday’s victory is now a memory. Today’s will come as we presently perform, and tomorrow’s is based on our consistency from day to day!” Pastor Frank Davis, III