SUPPLEMENTAL SCRIPTURES
- Romans 4:3, 17-21
Abram’s implicit faith in what God said caused him to act in total obedience to God. For this faithfulness, he was counted righteous, in turn receiving the promise, “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” His faith, obedience, and righteousness brought about many promises including the miraculous birth of his son, Isaac. Through the lineage of Isaac, God fulfilled His promise to Abram of the Messiah who would provide the blessing of salvation to those of all generations. When God made that covenant, He also changed Abram’s name to Abraham, because he would be a “father of many nations.”
QUESTIONS
- In Genesis 12:1-3, what do you think was the center of Abram’s motivation?
- Undoubtedly it would have been easier for Abram to provide for his family by staying near his father’s house and kindred. What might have been some of the influences which caused him to make the decision to obey God?
- Abram’s obedience had direct effect on his family, and far-reaching effects on his descendants, and on believers even to our day. How might others be affected by our obedience to God?
- God commanded Abram to make a certain offering, and he obeyed this instruction (Genesis 15:9-11). What is the significance of Abram’s driving the fowls away? Parallel this to action we must take when we obey God by making a consecration He is requiring of us.
- In Genesis 15:17, Abram received a witness-the smoking furnace and burning lamp which passed between the pieces of his sacrifice-that he would surely inherit the land of Canaan. What are some ways we can know when our offering or consecration has been accepted by God?
- Included in this promise to Abram was the miraculous birth of a son. How did Abram respond, even though he knew the circumstances of his and Sarah’s advanced ages? See Romans 4:20-21.
- In Genesis 17:19, God gave Abraham a command regarding the son that would be born to him. What was that command and where in our text do we find that Abraham obeyed God in this also?
- According to the key verse, what was the extent of God’s promise to Abraham?
THEME THOUGHTS
Webster’s dictionary tells us that one meaning of the word profile is, “a short, vivid biography, briefly outlining the most outstanding characteristics of the subject.” It is not difficult to go through the Bible and compile an extensive list of individuals who displayed some “outstanding characteristics” and from whom we can learn valuable lessons. Would a lesson on the dangers of refusing to obey the commands of God be profitable? Where could we find a better example to illustrate that point than in the story of Jonah—a man who spent three days in the belly of the whale because he declined to follow the instruction of the Lord? Would you like to know the secret of leading a triumphant life anointed by the Holy Spirit? Learn a lesson from the prophet Elisha—a man who performed a greater number of miracles than any other prophet except Moses. Do you see among your associates a tendency toward becoming involved in the things of this world? Looking at what happened to Lot’s wife, because she couldn’t give up the entanglements of Sodom, could prove to be a very beneficial study. In this quarter, we have chosen twelve Bible characters from whom we can learn some valuable lessons. They are not all “heroes of the faith.” In fact, some are the exact opposites! But there is something that can be learned from each of them. The final lesson in this quarter will be an overview of the preceding weeks, summing up the importance of learning from the lives of those who live on in the pages of Bible history.