Sermons from Genesis ABRAM FACING HIS FEARS Genesis 15-17
Sermons from Genesis “ABRAM FACING HIS FEARS” Genesis 15-17
Intro- Not long ago, there was a Disney movie called "Horton Hears A Who". It was a story about an elephant named Horton who heard a voice coming from a little speck of dust. The story relates how Horton placed the speck of dust on a clover bloom and did his best to protect the tiny residents inside that speck of dust from the other animals who could not hear the voices rising from the dust particle. Horton learns that the race living inside that speck of dust were the "Who's". They lived in a town called Whoville and needed someone to protect them from being destroyed. You may wonder what this has to do with our text. The answer lies in the fact that Horton heard a voice one day that forever changed his life. Abram heard a voice from GOD that forever changed his life!
Chapters 15-17 all deal with God’s covenant to Abram. In chapter 12:1-3 God outlined His covenant to Abram. It was the Large Print if you will; just the main points. Here in chapters 15-17, God gives the details of this covenant, the Fine Print!
In chapter 15 we have: I. THE TERMS OF THE COVENANT A. THE SETTING- verse 1- “After these things” After Abram had finished his Fight with the Kings. After Abram said good bye to King Melchizedek. After Abram had shook hands with nephew Lot. After Abram said No to the King of Sodom’s offer of riches. I wonder if Doubt and Depression began to set in on Abram! Possibly the FEAR of STILL not having a SON! After all, God made a promise some ten years ago. Then all of a sudden God said “Fear Not” Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
1. There’s PEACE in Knowing GOD. 2. There’s PROTECTION in Knowing GOD. “I am thy shield” 3. There’s a PRIZE in Knowing GOD. “thy exceeding great reward”(God was saying the best the King of Sodom could have given you was just STUFF! I am going to give you Satisfaction and Joy along with a lot of stuff!)
B. THE SUPPLICATION- verse 2-3…Abram did not want a Reward, he wanted a SON. Abram was now 85 years old. If God was going to give him a Son, Abram is thinking I’m not getting any younger God. Ten years ago this seemed impossible. Now it has reached the point of desperation. God I’m 85 now and STILL “I go childless”.
Verse 3- Why have you not given me a son?For ten years God, Sari and I have WAITED.Month after month I have watched Sari come out of the tent and say over and over again! NOT THIS TIME!GOD what are you waiting on?
Verse 4-5 God answered him by taking his eyes OFF himself and OFF his servant. God said, would you LOOK UP…LOOK UP to where I Am. LOOK UP and BEHOLD the stars! Abram HOW MANY stars do you see? I’m going to multiply thy seed as the stars!
Verse 6- Is a KEY VERSE. Abram said AMEN to God’s Promise! I believe you.
C. THE SACRIFICE- Vs.9-10Salvation is based on a sacrifice. A covenant requires the shedding of blood.(How many of you were blood brothers…?) All of these animals spoke of Christ! They all pointed to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
It was customary in that day for the two parties to walk between the pieces of the slain animals. This sealed the agreement.
Verse 11- Is a picture of how Satan is trying to disrupt the plan of God.
Verse 12-21 speaks of the graphic details of Christ Sacrificial Death on the Cross.
Vs. 12- “when the sun was going down” speaks of the human soul being past the point of hope!
“a deep sleep fell upon Abram” speaks of the helplessness of man’s soul to save him self.
“an horror of great darkness fell upon him.”Speaks of the HOLY FEAR that falls upon a sinner’s heart that knows he has sinned against God!
Vs. 17- “when the sun went down”describes how Jesus went down into death for you and I.
“and it was dark”- remember when Christ hung on the Cross, DARKNESS covered the face of the earth. It was the Darkest Day in human history. When God Judged the Sins of humanity in the person of Christ!
“and behold a smoking furnace” refers to the destruction upon sin!
“and a burning lamp” refers to the Light of Salvation… that passed throught the waters of death for you and I. But His light was not put out, on that third morning, His Light of Salvation Shinned bright from an empty tomb.
“and that burning lamp passed between those pieces.” In this instance, God was the only one passing through this sacrifice. Man could not go where Christ had gone! Salvation is ALL of GRACE and Salvation is ALL of GOD!
Vs. 18- “In the same day” refers to the moment you by faith believe on Christ for salvation…the same day God enters a covenant with you!
Vs.13-16- God tells Abram that his seed will be a stranger in the land of Egypt 400 years…!
Chapter 15- God specifies THE TERMS OF THE COVENANT
II. THE TEST OF THE COVENANT (Chapter 16) After this Great Promise comes a period of Great Testing! Here we find “What Happens When You Don’t WAIT On GOD”
A. GOD’S PROMISE WAS INTERRUPTED BY FEAR- Vs. 1…“Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children” No doubt from the close of the 15th chapter till the opening of the 16th chapter, Abram told his wife all about his conversation with God. How that he was going to be a Father… Here it’s obvious Sarai has a lapse of faith and begins to be filled with fear. How in the world is Abram going to have a child by me who is past the age of mother hood!
B. GOD’S PROMISE IS INTERRUPTED BY THE FLESH- Vs. 2… Sarai came up with a PLAN…
Vs.3- “…after Abram had dwelt TEN YEARS in the land of Canaan…”Both Abram and Sarai had grown tired of waiting so they decided to take matters into their own hands! We can fix this…! I can get my handmaid who is young and able to have a baby that I can call my and Abram will have his son! YEAH!
1. Abram failed this Test by not listening and waiting on God!
2. Sarai failed this test by not trusting and waiting on God!
3. Hagar failed by taking the easy way out. She ran away from the situation. Even when you run away, the problem is still there.
Verse 9-12… we find the birth of what we know as the Muslim Nation.
*Ishmael was called a wild man because he is a type of the flesh. The flesh is wild by nature. *Ishmael fathered 12 sons (25:13-15) who were enemies of the Jews from then on! That’s the reason Muslims today hate Israel and the Jews! Because of this right here.
HAGAR is a picture of the Old Covenant, which enslaves people!
SARAI is a picture of the New covenant which makes us free!
Chapter 15- God specifies THE TERMS OF THE COVENANT Chapter 16- God specifies THE TEST OF THE COVENANT
III. THE TOKENS OF THE COVENANT (Chapter 17) By the way, there are 13 years between the birth of Ishmael and the events of this chapter! So we see Abram is STILL WAITING! I wonder if Abram and Sarai trying to help God out in chapter 16 DELAYED the Promise?
A. THE TOKENS OF A NEW NAME- Vs.1-5 & Vs.15-16 God had to wait for Abram and Sarai to reach the point of absolute dependence on God. Vs. 1- Abram is 99 years old. 75 was unheard of at having a child! 85 was sounding insane! And now at 95 It has become an IMPOSSIBILITY. Abram- ABRAHAM which mean “father of many nations” Sarai – SARAH which means “Princess”
(Their New Names were preparation for the new blessing they were about to receive! Only God could take two idol worshiping heathens and turn them into Kings & Queens!) B. THE TOKEN OF A NEW SIGN- Vs. 6-14 tells of Circumcision. Genesis 17:11(KJV) 11And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. Circumcision is an outward symbol that reveals an inward salvation.
Conclusion- Genesis 17:19-2119And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant,and with his seed after him.20And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.21But my covenantwill I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.