Sermon Tone Analysis

Explore the Bible

Winter 2007-2008

January 27, 2007

Do You Trust the Lord's Promises?

Background Passage

Genesis 15:1-17:27

Lesson Passages

Genesis 15:1-6; 16:1-3; 17:1-2,17-19

Lesson Passages Outline

#. Trust the Lord's Word (Gen.

15:1-6)

#.

Trust the Lord's Timing (Gen.

16:1-3)

#.

Trust the Lord's Wisdom (Gen.

17:1-2,17-19)

Biblical Truth

The Lord expects people to take Him at His word.

Life Impact

To help you trust the Lord to keep His promises

Prepare

"Can't we stay home this weekend?"

my son Daniel asked.

Since his two sisters had left for college, we had been on the road every weekend for a month.

Each sister moved on a different weekend.

Then one had a long weekend and wanted to come home.

The next weekend the other became ill and we brought her home to recover.

I had promised my son he could relax at home after his sisters moved, but I could not keep that promise for two more weeks.

When we finally were able to spend a weekend at home, he thoroughly enjoyed it.

How have you been disappointed when a promise wasn't kept?

This lesson challenges individuals like Gerald.

He has difficulty believing God really cares, but he needs to recognize God's love for people and to begin trusting God to keep His promises.

The lesson also encourages people like Shavonna, who has been disappointed by promises not being fulfilled, to maintain faith in God.

The lesson further strengthens adults like Aaron, who clings to God's promises, to have assurance God will keep His word.

As you study about Abraham's trust and doubt as he waited for God to fulfill His promise of a son born to Sarah, focus on ways you can encourage adult learners to experience the *Life Impact* of this lesson by trusting the Lord to keep His promises.

As you continue your personal Bible study, prayerfully read the *Background Passages* and respond to the *Study Questions* as well as to the questions in the margins for the January 27 lesson in /Explore the Bible: Adult Learner Guide/.

The Bible in Context (Genesis 15:1-17:27)

After Abram rescued Lot, God reaffirmed His promises of protection and reward to Abram.

Abram noted he lacked an heir to receive God's promised rewards and thought his servant Eliezer probably would serve as his heir.

God assured Abram that he and Sarai would have a son and indeed would have as many descendants as stars in the sky.

Abram believed God and God credited his belief as righteousness.

God instructed Abram to prepare for a covenant ceremony by sacrificing animals, cutting them in half, and creating a pathway between the halves.

God then sealed His covenant with Abram (Gen.

15:1-21).

Ten years after leaving home and journeying to Canaan, Abram and Sarai still had no son.

Sarai suggested Abram take her servant Hagar as a wife and have a son through her.

When Hagar conceived, she believed this meant she was better than Sarai.

Her attitude made Sarai angry, and she treated Hagar so badly Hagar ran away.

God spoke to Hagar, told her to return, and promised she and her son Ishmael would have many descendants.

Hagar returned and gave birth to Ishmael (16:1-16).

When Abram was 99 years old, God reaffirmed His covenant with His servant emphasizing He would multiply Abram.

God changed Abram's name to Abraham, the new name signifying he would become the father of many nations.

God told Abraham his descendants would become a great nation ruling the land in which he lived.

God further stated His covenant would be with Abraham's descendants throughout time.

God instructed Abraham to practice circumcision as the sign of the covenant.

All males born to Abraham's descendants or to one of their slaves needed to be circumcised on the eighth day after they were born.

Uncircumcised males would not be part of God's covenant with Abraham (17:1-14).

Abraham responded by laughing at the thought of him and Sarah becoming first-time parents.

God confirmed His promise, stating Isaac would be born in a year's time.

In obedience, Abraham circumcised himself, Ishmael, and all the males in his household (17:15-27).

Trust the Lord's Word (Gen.

15:1-6)

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.

*Verse 1.* Abram had experienced an eventful life since following God's call to leave his father and move to Canaan.

After walking through the land from north to south, he spent time in Egypt, separated from his nephew Lot, and then rescued Lot from a coalition of four kings.

Although the phrase *after these events* probably refers to Abram's rescue of Lot, God's words to Abram could refer back to God's presence with and promises to Abram from the beginning.

The phrase *the word of the Lord came* typically introduces God's words to a prophet (Jer 1:2; Ezek.

1:3).

Visions and dreams served as mediums of revelation through which God spoke to patriarchs (Israel's founding fathers; Gen. 46:2) and prophets (Isa.

6:1; Ezek.

1:1).

While we think of Abram primarily as a patriarch, God also used him as a prophet to speak to his generation and later generations (Gen.

20:7).

*Do not be afraid* often constituted the first words spoken by God or an angel who had appeared to a human (21:17; Luke 1:13).

Abram had recently faced danger in battle, fighting enemies in hand-to-hand combat.

Meeting the powerful, glorious, holy God constituted an even more frightening experience.

Knowing Abram's concern regarding his childlessness, God perhaps also wanted to comfort Abram and encourage him to continue believing the promise that he would have many descendants.

God emphasized two truths to Abram.

First, God stated He served as Abram's *shield*.

Abram probably had used a shield for protection in rescuing Lot, yet God declared He had been Abram's shield, protecting him throughout his life.

As God had protected Abram in the past, He would continue to do so.

Second, God would provide Abram a *reward*.

Reward often refers to a servant's or worker's wages.

God was not paying Abram for serving Him faithfully or for rescuing Lot.

While Abram sometimes served God with amazing faith, he also made mistakes.

Abram could never have earned a reward from God.

In His grace, God would keep His promise to reward Abram, despite his sin.

*Verse 2.* While grateful for God's promises, Abram wondered regarding the value of a reward if he had no son to inherit from him.

Abram had entered Canaan at 75 years of age with Sarai [SEHR igh (eye)] who was then 65 years old.

Several years had passed and the couple remained childless.

Abram may have wondered if he would ever have a son.

He apparently had considered designating his trusted servant *Eliezer* [EL ih EE zuhr] *of Damascus* as his heir.

Eliezer probably had become part of Abram's household after Abram's victory over the coalition of four kings north of Damascus.

*Verse 3.* Abram understood children to be gifts of God.

Since God had not favored him with the gift of a son, a male servant could be named to inherit from him.

(Both the Bible [Prov.

17:2] and nonbiblical sources indicate a servant could be named to inherit from a master.)

In such cases the servant would be expected to care for the master in his old age and bury and mourn him when he died.

On his master's death, the servant would inherit the master's estate.

After being adopted, the servant could not be completely disinherited even if the master had a son.

While Abram may have still hoped to have a son with Sarai, he had a contingency plan in place.

*Verse 4.* God declared Eliezer would not inherit from Abram, but Abram would father a son, who would inherit.

Abram did not need a contingency plan.

God would keep His promise.