God’s covenant with Abraham

Genesis 12:1-3Three Promises to Abram

2000-1900 B.C

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3 NIV)

Modern Day Iraq

Egypt

Mediterranean

Genesis 12:1-3Three Promises to Abram

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and (1) go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3 NIV)

Genesis 12:1-3Three Promises to Abram

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and (1) go to the land I will show you. "I will make you (2) into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3 NIV)

Genesis 12:1-3Three Promises to Abram

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and (1) go to the land I will show you. "I will make you (2) into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and (3) all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-3 NIV)

Genesis 12:1-3Three Promises to Abram

(2000-1900 B.C.)In their order of fulfillment

1. The Great Nation (1600-1450 B.C.)

2. The Land (1400 B.C.)

3. ALL NATIONS being blessed by the offspring of Abram

Genesis 12:1-3Three Promises to Abram

(2000-1900 B.C.)In their order of fulfillment

1. The First two promises focused on one nation

2. However, God’s purpose had every nation in mind

God to Abram: And in your seed all the nations

of the earth shall be blessed”(Genesis 22:18)

2000 A.D.

1440 B.C..

Moses

Promises to Abram

1. Great Nation

2000 B.C.

2000 A.D.

1440 B.C..

Moses

Promises to Abram

1. Great Nation

2. The Land

2000 B.C.

2000 A.D.

1440B.C..

Moses

Promises to Abram

1. Great Nation

2. The Land

3. All Nations blessed through the coming of the Messiah

2000 B.C.

Abram was 65 Years Old When he First Received the Promises

He and His wife, Sarah, were Childless

• Abram’s Plan (Genesis 15:1-3)

• God Renews the Promises (Genesis 15:4-6)

No Children, Yet Offspring like the Stars in Number

Genesis 15

1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."

2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"

3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." (NIV)

No Children, Yet Offspring like the Stars in Number

Genesis 15

Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming

from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-- if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your

offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

(Genesis 15:4-6 NIV)

A Prophecy about The Nation

Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." (Genesis 15:13-16 NIV)

Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. (Genesis 15:13-16 NIV)

2000 A.D.

1440 B.C..

Moses

Promises to Abram

1. Great Nation

2. The Land

1900 B.C.

The Nation became Slaves in Egypt before receiving their land

SLAVES IN EGYPT FIRST

Then God would give them the Promised Land

Abram was 65 Years Old When he First Received the Promises

He and His wife, Sarah, were Childless

• Abram’s Plan (Genesis 15:1-3)

• God Renews the Promises (Genesis 15:4-6)

• Sarah’s Plan (Genesis 16)

Abraham was 86 when Ishmael was born to Sarah’s servant (Hagar)

Abram is 99 – Sarah is 90"Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." (Genesis 18:9-14 NIV)

What Do You Think theyNamed Their Child?

LAUGHTER

HEBREW

ISAAC

Is Anything to Hard for the Lord?

…the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope,

Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So

shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-- since he was about a hundred years old-- and

that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God,

but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do

what he had promised. (Romans 4:17-21 NIV)

Is Anything to Hard for the Lord?

By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised; (Hebrews 11:11 NASB)

Strife and Division in Abraham’s Family

But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring." (Genesis 21:9-13 NIV)

Abraham’s DescendantsThrough Hagar Through Sarah

Ishmael Isaac

Jacob & Esau

12 Sons of Jacob

Jacob’s nameWas Changed

to IsraelJesus Christ born 1700

Years later

Arab nations came from Ishmael – Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia,

etc.IsraelConflict

Between Arabs and

Israel is 4000 years old

Abraham’s DescendantsThrough Sarah

Isaac

Jacob & Esau

12 Sons of Jacob

Joseph

Israel

TWO OF THEMOST IMPORTANT SONS Judah

Genesis 37-50Jesus