adult ss spring 01 - american baptist association · “how then shall they call on him in whom...

AAdduulltt QQuuaarrtteerrllyySUNDAY SCHOOL SPRING QUARTER, 2001

4—The Chosen Seed: the Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

11—The Chosen Seed: the Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

18—The Chosen Seed: the Heir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

25—The Chosen Seed: the Unconditional Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

1—The Chosen Seed: the Covenant Continues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

8—The Chosen Seed: the Divine Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

15—The Chosen Seed: the Promise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

22—The Chosen Seed: the Covenant Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

29—The Chosen Seed: the Reconciliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

6—The Chosen Seed: the Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

13—The Chosen Seed: the Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

20—The Chosen Seed: the Reunion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

27—The Chosen Seed: the Blessings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

ADULT QUARTERLY, Sunday School, Vol. 88, No. 2, issued March 1, 2001, is published quarterly at 95cents per quarter. Prepared by David Harris; Cover design by Jeff Allen; Bill Johnson, Editor in Chief;Wayne Sewell, Business Manager.

© Copyright 2001, BAPTIST SUNDAY SCHOOL COMMITTEE of the American Baptist Association, 4605 N. State Line, Texarkana, TX 75503-2928.

The Chosen SeedStudies in Genesis 11:26—50:26

QUARTERLY AIM: The student will learn that God calls, guides, protectsand blesses the nation He has chosen to represent Him to the world.

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

American Baptist AssociationThrough-the-Bible Series Sunday School Lessons

Genesis 1—11Job

Exodus

Genesis 12—50

Romans

Acts 1—14

2 Samuel 5—241 Chronicles 11—29

1 Kings 1, 2

1 Kings 3—252 Chronicles 1—24

2 Kings 1—13Joel, Jonah,

Obadiah, Nahum

Luke 13:22—24

Isaiah 40—66

1 Timothy2 Timothy

Titus

DanielEzekiel

NehemiahMalachi

Matthew 1—13

LeviticusNumbers

Deuteronomy

Acts 15—28

James1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians

1 Corinthians

Hosea, AmosMicah, Zephaniah2 Kings 14—16

PhilemonPhilippiansColossians

Jeremiah2 Kings 24, 252 Chronicles 36

1 Peter2 PeterJude

Revelation

Matthew 14—28

Hebrews

1 Samuel2 Samuel 1—4

1 Chronicles 1—10

Psalms

ProverbsEcclesiastes

Song of Solomon

2 Corinthians

2 Kings 21—232 Chronicles 33—35

LamentationsHabakkuk

John 1—12

ZechariahEzra

Haggai, Esther

Revelation

JoshuaJudgesRuth

Mark

Galatians

Luke 1—13:21

Isaiah 1—392 Chronicles 25—32

2 Kings 17—20

Ephesians

John 13—22

1, 2, 3 John

Winter Spring Summer Fall

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Genesis 12:1-81. Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy

country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house,unto a land that I will shew thee:

2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee,and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him thatcurseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth beblessed.

4. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; andLot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years oldwhen he departed out of Haran.

5. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son,and all their substance that they had gathered, and the soulsthat they had gotten inHaran; and they wentforth to go into the landof Canaan; and into theland of Canaan theycame.

6. And Abram passedthrough the land unto

3

The Chosen Seed

The CallText: Genesis 11:26�14:24 Focus: Genesis 12:1-8

Sunday Devotional: Lookingfor a City, Hebrews 11:9, 10.

Aim: By the conclusion of thislesson the student will describethe role of Abraham’s faith inGod’s selection of the chosenseed.

Daily Devotionals

M. —God of Abraham, Exodus 3:15-17.T. —Mercy to Abraham, Micah 7:15-20.W. —Abraham Redeemed, Isaiah 29:17-24.T. —Abraham Justified, Romans 4:1-12.F. —Promise to Abraham, Romans 4:13-25.S. —People of Abraham’s God, Psalm

47:1-9.

11March 4, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

Key Verse:“Now the LORD had said untoAbram, Get thee out of thycountry, and from thy kindred,and from thy father’s house, untoa land that I will shew thee.”

Genesis 12:1

the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And theCanaanite was then in the land.

7. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thyseed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto theLORD, who appeared unto him.

8. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the eastof Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, andHai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD,and called upon the name of the LORD.

If you have faith in someone or something, you have com-plete confidence in that person or thing. Faith is belief ortrust, accompanied by strong conviction. In the Old Testa-ment believe occurs less than twenty times. Trust occurs overone hundred times. The psalmist David expressed his faithand trust in the Lord when he wrote, “The LORD is my rock,and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, inwhom I will trust” (Psalm 18:2). Some put their trust in theirhorses and chariots (Psalm 20:7). Some trust in their bowand sword (Psalm 44:6). Some trust in their wealth (Psalm49:6). But David said, “I have put my trust in the Lord GOD”(Psalm 73:28).

Faith is essential in salvation. The apostle Paulexpressed the essential elements in salvation when he saidthat he testified to the Jews and to the Greeks, “repentancetoward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts20:21). In repentance, the sinner turns away from sin. Infaith, the sinner turns to Christ. True repentance does notexist apart from faith.

Saving faith consists of three elements. The first is theintellectual element—hearing and understanding the gospel.Paul said, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing bythe word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Before a person can believesomething, he must first hear about it. Paul expressed this

4 The Chosen Seed: the Call

LESSON ADVANCE

Text: Genesis 11:26—14:24 5

truth with a series of questions. “How then shall they call onhim in whom they have not believed? and how shall theybelieve in him of whom they have not heard? and how shallthey hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14). The gospel isthe message or proclamation of God concerning His Son,Jesus Christ. It is both historical and factual, and it must bebelieved if we are to be saved.

The second element in saving faith is the emotional ele-ment. An intellectual response alone is not sufficient. A per-son can know all the recorded facts concerning the life ofChrist and still remain unmoved and unsaved. James spokeof the demons who believe in God (intellectual knowledge),but who are still unredeemed (James 2:19). So what makesthe difference in the way people hear and respond to thegospel? It is the convincing and convicting work of the HolySpirit. When the Holy Spirit convicts a person concerning themessage of the gospel and the need of salvation, there is asense of awareness of sin and a realization of a personal needfor salvation.

The third element is the volitional element. Volition has todo with our will. It is the power to choose or make a decision.It is entirely possible for a person to experience the first twoelements without experiencing the third. Therefore, a personmay know in his mind the facts of the gospel and know in hisheart that he needs to be saved; nevertheless, he may stillrefuse to trust Christ.

Remember Felix. Paul spoke to him and his wife concern-ing faith in Christ. Acts 24:25 states, “And as he reasoned ofrighteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felixtrembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when Ihave a convenient season, I will call for thee.” Felix knew thefacts of the gospel because each fact was clearly presented tohim by Paul. He was apparently convicted by the Holy Spirit.The Scripture states “Felix trembled.” Nevertheless, we haveno record he ever chose to place his faith and trust in Christ.Instead, he sent Paul away with the lame excuse, “when Ihave a convenient season, I will call for thee.” To be saved, aperson must put the intellectual and emotional elements into


action by exercising his will. The Bible reads, “For whosoev-er shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom.10:13). John 1:12 states, “But as many as received him, tothem gave he power to become the sons of God, even to themthat believe on his name.”

Faith is essential in service. As faith is essential in sal-vation, so it is in service. Habakkuk said, “the just shall liveby his faith” (Hab. 2:4). The inspired writer of the book ofHebrews said, “But without faith it is impossible to pleasehim: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, andthat he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb.11:6). Paul said, “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom.14:23). Whatever we do in the Lord’s service, we are to do infaith; otherwise, it will not be acceptable to Him.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into aplace which he should after receive for an inheritance,obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Forhe looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builderand maker is God” (Heb. 11:8, 10).

I. Faith Manifested (Gen. 12:1-8)

God had called Abraham out of his country, kindred andfather’s house (verse 1). Upon receiving the call, “Terah tookAbram his son and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, andSarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and theywent forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into theland of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there”(Gen. 11:31).

Ur was located on the southern extremity of Mesopotamia,near the Persian Gulf. Haran was in the northern part.Looking at it on the map, Haran appears to be a “halfway”

LESSON ANALYSIS


point between Ur and the Promised Land. Be sure to tracethe steps of Abraham on a good Bible map so you will have avisual picture of it in your mind. Some have said Abraham’sfaith was incomplete because he stopped at Haran andremained there until his father died. Regardless of what youmay think about the layover at Haran, Abraham did indeedexercise great faith when he left his homeland and friendsbehind in Mesopotamia. (Compare Acts 7:2-4.)

At the time God called Abram, whose name was laterchanged to Abraham, He made a covenant with him (Gen.12:2, 3). The covenant was wholly of grace, unconditional andcontained eight promises.

When God calls us, whether to salvation or service, weshould follow the example of Abraham and respond to God’scall in faith. Abraham left Haran and passed through theland to Sichem (Shechem). The Lord appeared to him thereand said, “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” In response,Abraham built an altar unto the Lord (verse 7). From thereAbraham moved to a mountain on the east of Beth-el. Hepitched his tent with Beth-el on the west and Hai on the east,“and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and calledupon the name of the LORD” (verse 8).

II. Faith Tested (Gen. 12:9-20)

When Abraham entered the land which God had promisedhim, he discovered someone already lived there. TheCanaanites were there. This may have been somewhat of asurprise. As time passed, something else happened whichput Abraham’s faith to the test. “There was a famine in theland” (verse 10).

When a person steps out on faith, not knowing how needsare going to be met or how things are going to work out, itcan get really exciting. Missionaries get all excited aboutpreparing for a new field of labor. Churches get all excitedanytime they launch a new project which requires a step offaith. Living by faith is truly exciting; however, faith will betested.


When reality sets in and faith is tested, it will be decisiontime. Sadly, Abraham made the wrong decision. Instead ofstaying in the land which God had promised to him and hisseed, Abraham “went down into Egypt to sojourn there”(verse 10). He made matters worse when he tried to makeeveryone think his wife was his sister (verses 11-13). Saraiwas taken into Pharaoh’s house as Abraham was enrichedwith the things of the world (verses 14-16). But God plaguedPharaoh’s house because of Sarai, and Abraham’s schemewas discovered. Embarrassed, Abraham was sent away(verses 17-20).

III. Faith Rewarded (Gen. 13:1-18)

Abraham apparently learned a good lesson in Egyptbecause he returned to Beth-el, the place where he had beenin the beginning. He went back to the place of the altar “andthere Abram called on the name of the LORD” (verse 4).

Both Abraham and his nephew had great flocks and herdsand tents. They had so much that their herdsmen began tosquabble. Abraham’s solution to the problem was in itself astatement of faith. Even though the Canaanites andPerizzites dwelled in the land, Abraham said, “Is not thewhole land before thee?” (verse 9). He then instructed Lot tochoose which way he would go. If he wanted to go left,Abraham would go right. If Lot wanted to go right, Abrahamwould go left. Lot seized the opportunity and chose the wellwatered plain of Jordan “and pitched his tent toward Sodom”(verse 12). Abraham was left with the less desirable land;nevertheless, the Lord appeared to him and told him to lookin every direction. Abraham’s faith was rewarded with God’spromise to give him all the land and to make his seed as thedust of the earth. God said, “Arise, walk through the land inthe length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it untothee” (verse 17). So Abraham came to dwell in the plain ofMamre, which is in Hebron, “and built there an altar unto


the LORD” (verse 18). Lot, meanwhile, dwelt in Sodom wherethe men “were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceed-ingly” (Gen. 13:13).

IV. Faith Demonstrated (Gen. 14:1-24)

While in Sodom, Lot found himself in the middle of a warbetween kings. Sodom and five other cities lost a battle withChedorlaomer, wherein Lot and his family were taken cap-tive. One of the persons who escaped came and told Abrahamwhat happened. When Abraham heard it, he acted in faithonce again. He armed his trained servants, all three hundredeighteen of them, and pursued the winning army to Dan.With God’s help, Abraham and his servants smote them andrescued Lot, all the people and all the goods (verses 1-16).

Following the battle, as Abraham returned home, he againdemonstrated his faith. As he neared Hebron, Abraham mettwo kings: the king of Sodom and the king of Salem. Berawas the king of Sodom and Melchizedek was the king ofSalem. Bera met Abraham to demand a return of the people,and to say that Abraham could keep the spoil, making itappear to everyone that Bera had made Abraham rich.Melchizedek met Abraham to give him and the young menbread and wine to refresh themselves. Abraham rejectedBera, king of Sodom, but he received and paid tithes toMelchizedek, king of Salem. Melchizedek was the first toreveal the name “most high God” (El Elyon), which means“possessor of heaven and earth” (verse 22). Abraham in turnused the name as a rebuke to Bera’s offer to enrich him. Whyshould he take anything from the wicked king of Sodom?Abraham was a servant of the Most High God, the possessorof Heaven and earth. Likewise, we do not need anything thedevil or this world has to offer. We are children of God. Heowns everything. All we need to do is live with unflinchingfaith in Him.

Genesis 17:1-8

1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD

appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God;walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, andwill multiply thee exceedingly.

3. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, say-ing,

4. As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shaltbe a father of many nations.

5. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thyname shall be Abraham;for a father of manynations have I made thee.

6. And I will make theeexceeding fruitful, and Iwill make nations of thee,and kings shall come outof thee.

7. And I will establishmy covenant between

The Chosen Seed

The CovenantText: Genesis 15:1�17:14 Focus: Genesis 17:1-8

Sunday Devotional:Abraham Believed God, Gala-tians 3:6-9.

Aim: By the conclusion ofthis lesson the student will listthe conditions of the covenantGod made with Abraham.

Daily Devotionals

M. —Covenant Confirmed, Psalm 105:1-12, 42-45.

T. —Blessing of Abraham, Galatians 3:13-16.

W. —Promises Given, Galatians 3:17-29.T. —Promise Confirmed, Hebrews 11:13-20.F. —Abraham’s Worship, Hebrews 7:1-10.S. —Sit with Abraham, Matthew 8:5-13.

22March 11, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

Key Verse:“And I will establish my covenantbetween me and thee and thy seedafter thee in their generations for aneverlasting covenant, to be a Godunto thee, and to thy seed afterthee.”

Genesis 17:7

10

Text: Genesis 15:1-—17:14 11

me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for aneverlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seedafter thee.

8. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, theland wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for aneverlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Today’s lesson centers upon the covenant God made withAbraham. This covenant is commonly referred to by Biblestudents as the Abrahamic Covenant.

The nature of the covenant. In last week’s lesson, wementioned the covenant was wholly of grace and uncondi-tional. In today’s lesson, we find it was also everlasting.

First, it was of grace. Abraham did not deserve to be calledby God out of Ur of the Chaldees (Gen. 12:1). Yes, Abrahambelieved God, and it was counted to him for righteousness,but he did not do anything to deserve the call. Moreover, weare saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8,9). We do not deserve it, but He gives eternal life to everyonewho believes on Jesus as his personal Savior. Neither didAbraham do anything to deserve the seven blessings of thecovenant (Gen. 12:2, 3). Abraham was as undeserving of theblessings of God as we are. It is by the grace of God that weare what we are today. Without His grace we would be eter-nally lost.

Second, it was unconditional. It may be said that theimmediate blessings of the covenant, such as the occupationof the land, were conditioned upon abiding in the land andkeeping the physical seal of the covenant; however, the ulti-mate fulfillment of the covenant was dependent upon God,not Abraham. For example, when the people left Canaan andwent into Egypt, they lost the blessing, but not the covenant.Likewise, when they accepted the Law of Moses, they cameunder a new form of discipline, but the Law of Moses did not

LESSON ADVANCE

12 The Chosen Seed: the Covenant

abrogate the Abrahamic Covenant. Neither the personal fail-ures of Abraham, nor the sins of his descendants can preventthe ultimate and final fulfillment of the AbrahamicCovenant. This is why it may rightly be called an uncondi-tional covenant.

Third, it is everlasting. God made an everlasting covenantwith Abraham. This truth is affirmed in verses 7 and 8 of ourLesson Focus. The Abrahamic Covenant has both millennialand eternal implications. God promised Abraham and hisseed all the land from the river of Egypt to the riverEuphrates; however, there has never been a time in the his-tory of Israel when it possessed all the land. Furthermore,the book of Hebrews states that Abraham, as well as others,“died in faith, not having received the promises, but havingseen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, andembraced them, and confessed that they were strangers andpilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declareplainly that they seek a country. But now they desire a bet-ter country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is notashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared forthem a city” (Heb. 11:13, 14, 16). So when will the promisesbe fulfilled? The promises will be fulfilled when Jesus comesand establishes His kingdom of which there shall be no end(Luke 1:33).

The blessings of the covenant. Eight blessings or ele-ments may be found in the Abrahamic Covenant. God said,(1) “Unto a land that I will shew thee”; (2) “And I will makeof thee a great nation”; (3) “And I will bless thee”; (4) “Andmake thy name great”; (5) “And thou shalt be a blessing”; (6)“And I will bless them that bless thee”; (7) “And curse himthat curseth thee”; (8) “And in thee shall all families of theearth be blessed” (Gen. 12:1-3).

First, God promised to give Abraham the land that Hewould show him. Second, the promise of God to makeAbraham a great nation has been fulfilled in three ways: (a)through the natural seed, the Hebrew people, represented bythe dust of the earth; (b) through the spiritual seed, the truechildren of Abraham who are saved by faith, represented by


the stars of heaven (Gal. 3:6-9); and (c) through Ishmael, therejected son of the flesh. (Compare Genesis 17:18-20 whereGod said, “I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful,and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall hebeget, and I will make him a great nation.”)

Third, the promise to bless Abraham has been fulfilled intwo ways: physically and spiritually. The physical blessingincluded the land and many material possessions (Gen.13:17; 15:18; 17:8; 24:34, 35). The imputed righteousness ofChrist was the foremost spiritual blessing (Gen. 15:6).

Fourth, the promise to make his name great has certainlybeen fulfilled. The three primary religions of the world(Christianity, Judaism, Islam) all claim and honor Abraham.His name is known universally.

Fifth, Abraham has been a blessing to others. The wholeworld is indebted to Abraham and his godly lineage. Manywill not admit this because they have hardened their heartsand minds against the truth of God’s Word; nevertheless, itremains a fact that Abraham and his descendants have beena blessing to the world.

The sixth and seventh elements of the covenant may bediscussed together. God has blessed those who have blessedAbraham, and He has cursed those who have cursedAbraham. History attests to this fact. Nevertheless, there isa future aspect of this which will be fulfilled at the Judgmentof Nations. In the book, God’s Plan with Man, the author,A. J. Kirkland quoted Matthew 25:32 and said, “Now notice,He will divide them as a shepherd divides his sheep from thegoats. Then notice what he said to the sheep. He calls them:‘Come ye BLESSED of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre-pared for you from the foundation of the world.’ To those onthe left He calls: ‘Depart from me, ye CURSED, into everlast-ing fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’ He uses thevery words used when God made the promise to Abraham. ‘Iwill bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseththee’ ” (page 225).

The eighth promise was that in Abraham all the familiesof the earth would be blessed. This aspect of the promise is


accomplished in Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, “Now to Abrahamand his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And toseeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which isChrist” (Gal. 3:16). The singular “seed” was Christ. He wasmade a curse for us by dying on the cross in order “that theblessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles throughJesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spiritthrough faith” (verse 14). Neither Jew nor Gentile are made heirs of the promise by keeping the Law. It is through faith(Gal. 2:16). Paul said “For ye are all the children of God byfaith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). He also said, “There is nei-ther Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there isneither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus”(verse 28). Both Jew and Gentile are blessed in Christ andmade one in Christ.

I. Abraham Waiting (Gen. 15:1-21)

Following his return from the victory over Chedorlaomerand the rescue of Lot, the word of the Lord came to Abrahamin a vision and told him, “Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield,and thy exceeding great reward” (verse 1). Perhaps Abrahamwas feeling a bit left out. After all, he had given away thespoils of war, paid tithes to Melchizedek and sent Lot back toSodom. What if the Canaanites decided to get together andattack? God told him not to worry because He was his shieldand reward.

Abraham was also concerned about an heir. He had nochildren. It appeared to him that his servant, Eliezer ofDamascus, would receive everything. But God told him, “hethat shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thineheir” (verse 4). God then showed him the stars of heaven andpromised, “So shall thy seed be” (verse 5). Abraham believedin the Lord; “and he counted it to him for righteousness”(verse 6).

LESSON ANALYSIS


When Abraham asked how he would know, God affirmedthe renewed promise through a blood covenant. A covenantof blood was considered a legal covenant in the Bible. As thesun was going down, “an horror of great darkness fell uponhim” (verse 12). In a vision, God revealed that Abraham’sseed would leave Canaan and be afflicted in a strange landfor four hundred years; however, God promised to judge thatnation and bring Israel out in the fourth generation withgreat riches. Abraham himself would escape all this. Hewould die in peace at a good age. When the sun went down,“behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passedbetween those pieces” (verse 17). In ancient times it was cus-tomary for both parties to pass between the pieces of the sac-rifice when entering into a blood covenant; however, Godpassed alone because the fulfillment of the covenant restedentirely upon Him and not at all upon Abraham.

II. Abraham Working (Gen. 16:1-16)

Abraham had been in the land of Canaan ten years, stillwithout an heir, when he and Sarai decided to act on theirown and help God out. Sarai looked at Abraham and said,“the LORD hath restrained me from bearing” (verse 2). Butshe had a solution to be problem. She had an Egyptian slavegirl named Hagar. She told Abraham to have a child by her,which in turn, would become Sarai’s. Abraham agreed, andHagar gave birth to Ishmael.

The whole sordid affair was the biggest blunder ofAbraham’s life. First, he should not have had an Egyptianslave girl in the first place. Where do you suppose he got her?He got her from his trip to Egypt, when he told Sarai to pre-tend she was his sister. Second, he should not have listenedto Sarai. She may have given good advice in the past, butthis time she was more like Job’s wife. Abraham should havebeen listening to God. Third, he should not have had a childby the slave girl. It was a work of the flesh. It had nothing todo with faith. It was one of the lowest points in Abraham’slife, the effects of which are still being felt today. Four thou-sand years of human history have not sorted out the prob-


lems that Abraham caused when he brought Ishmael into theworld.

III. Abraham Worshiping (Gen. 17:1-14)

Abraham was seventy-five when he left Haran. He waseighty-five when Hagar conceived (eighty-six when Ishmaelwas born). He was ninety-nine when the Lord appeared tohim thirteen years later and said, “I am the Almighty God;walk before me, and be thou perfect” (verse 1). We have norecord that God spoke to Abraham during the interveningyears. It must have been a great rebuke to his union withHagar, as well as a great test of his faith to wait for God yearafter year after year.

When God did finally appear to him, He revealed Himselfas the Almighty God (Hebrew El Shaddai). The meaning isthat He is the all-sufficient, all-satisfying God.

God reaffirmed His covenant with Abraham and told himthat He would multiply him exceedingly. The Almighty Godnot only enriches, but He makes fruitful. Abraham fell uponhis face, speechless. God did all the talking. Abraham justworshiped.

God told Abraham that he would be a father of manynations. He also changed his name from Abram to Abraham.God promised to make Abraham “exceeding fruitful.”Nations and kings would come from Abraham. Furthermore,the covenant between God and Abraham would be everlast-ing. God promised Abraham and his seed the land of Canaan“for an everlasting possession,” saying, “I will be their God”(verse 8).

God has made many promises to us, and He will certainlykeep them. When it seems His promises are delayed, wemust avoid acting prematurely as did Abraham and Sarah.Be patient, obedient and faithful. God will do His part in Hisown good time.

LESSON APPLICAT ION

Genesis 17:15-21

15. And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thoushalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, Iwill bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peo-ple shall be of her.

17. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said inhis heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundredyears old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18. And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might livebefore thee!

19. And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed;and thou shalt call hisname Isaac: and I willestablish my covenant withhim for an everlastingcovenant,and with his seedafter him.

20. And as for Ishmael, Ihave heard thee: Behold, Ihave blessed him, and will

The Chosen Seed

The HeirText: Genesis 17:15�21:34 Focus: Genesis 17:15-21

Sunday Devotional: Child ofthe Free, Galatians 4:28-31.

Aim: By the conclusion of this lessonthe student will discuss God’s choiceof Isaac as the heir of the AbrahamicCovenant.

Key Verse:“But my covenant will Iestablish with Isaac, whichSarah shall bear unto thee atthis set time in the nextyear.”

Genesis 17:21

Daily Devotionals

M. —Sarah’s Faith, Hebrews 11:11-14.T. —Sarah’s Son, Romans 9:6-9.W. —Isaac Given, Joshua 24:1-3.T. —An Allegory, Galatians 4:19-27.F. —Confederates Against Israel, Psalm

83:1-8.S. —Ishmael’s Sons, 1 Chronicles 1:29-

31.

33March 18, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

17

18 The Chosen Seed: the Heir

make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelveprinces shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarahshall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

One of the things we want to focus on in today’s lesson isthe significance of God’s choice of Isaac over Ishmael as anallegory of salvation by grace through faith and not by works.

The failure of the flesh. Even though we live in a wickedworld, it is nevertheless a highly religious world. Religion isa major part of our world culture. Study an encyclopedia, andyou will find articles relating to the religion of each country.Examine a good world atlas, and the dominant religion ofeach country will be shaded in a particular color. Men every-where are inclined to worship. The problem is that most of itis totally unacceptable to God.

The writer of Proverbs said, “There is a way whichseemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the waysof death” (Prov. 14:12). The way which seems right to man isthe way of self-effort and self-righteousness. Natural man isinclined to believe there must be a way for him to work hisway into favor with God and thereby insure himself of ahome in Heaven. However, self-effort always leads to death,never to life.

When you observe various religions of the world, you findthe same basic philosophies which we saw in the beginningwith Cain and Abel. First, there is the way of grace and faithwhich leads to life. Second, there is the way of good worksand self-reliance which leads to death.

As far as most religions are concerned, if you join the rightchurch, participate in the right rituals and live the right kindof life, you will go to Heaven when you die. Every religionwhich is based on good works will have its own particular setof rules and regulations; however, they all have the samecommon denominator: if you obey the rules and do good,everything will be all right. This kind of teaching may sound

LESSON ADVANCE

Text: Genesis 17:15—21:34 19

good to men, but it is totally rejected by God. Those who fol-low it and who die in their sins will live eternally in the lakeof fire.

Paul wrote, “Knowing that a man is not justified by theworks of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even wehave believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified bythe faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by theworks of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Gal. 2:16). Healso said, “For if there had been a law given which couldhave given life, verily righteousness should have been by thelaw. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that thepromise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them thatbelieve” (Gal. 3:21, 22).

The victory of faith. How was Abraham saved? The Biblestates, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to himfor righteousness” (Gal. 3:6). It also reads, “And the scrip-ture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen throughfaith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, Inthee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be offaith are blessed with faithful Abraham” (Gal. 3:8, 9). Theway of salvation has never changed. It has always been bygrace through faith, and it always will.

Ephesians 2:8, 9 states, “For by grace are ye savedthrough faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation is a gift.Common sense tells us that we cannot work for a gift. If wework for it, then it is a debt which is owed to us, not a giftwhich is freely bestowed upon us. The Bible makes it per-fectly clear that no one deserves the free gift of salvation.That is why salvation is wholly of grace. We cannot work forit, earn it, buy it or join it. All we can do is receive it by faith(John 1:12).

Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, illustrate the twoways we have mentioned. Ishmael illustrates the way of theflesh. Isaac illustrates the way of faith. Ishmael was bornfirst; likewise, the natural birth comes first. Isaac was born


second; likewise, it is the spiritual birth which is the newbirth. Ishmael was the result of Abraham’s attempt toreceive the promises of God through the energies of the flesh.Isaac was the fulfillment of the promise in response to faith.Ishmael was rejected by God as Abraham’s seed and heir ofthe promises. Moreover, God rejects all attempts to receiveHis promises through fleshly means. Isaac was received andrecognized by God as Abraham’s seed and heir of the promis-es. Moreover, God receives all who come to Him in faith andmakes them heirs with Abraham. Paul said, “For ye are allthe children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And if ye beChrist’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according tothe promise” (Gal. 3:26, 29). Ishmael represents the Law andMount Sinai. Isaac represents faith and Mount Zion (Gal.4:19-26). Ishmael mocked and persecuted Isaac; likewise,those who follow after the flesh will mock and persecutethose who follow after the Spirit (verse 29).

I. A Change in Name (Gen. 17:15, 16)

God changed the names of both Abram and Sarai. Weknow them best as Abraham and Sarah, but these were nottheir original names. Abram’s name was changed toAbraham by adding the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet(Gen. 17:5). The number five is often associated with grace.Abram means “high father,” while Abraham means “father ofa multitude or father of many nations.” God promised, “AndI will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nationsof thee, and kings shall come out of thee” (Gen. 17:6).

Sarai’s name was changed in the same fashion. By addingthe fifth letter of the alphabet, her new name became Sarah.Sarai means “my princess.” It was her personal name andlikely reflected how Abraham felt about her in his heart. Her

LESSON ANALYSIS

Text: Genesis 17:15—21:34 21

new name, Sarah, means “a princess.” The change seems tobe one of position. As she had been Abraham’s princess, shewould became a princess in the eyes of the whole world. Godpromised to bless her and give her a son. He said she wouldbe a mother of nations and kings of people would come fromher.

II. A Laugh for Joy (Gen. 17:17)

Abraham fell upon his face before God as an act of humil-ity. This was the proper response for someone who had heardthe voice of God. In fact, it should be our response today.Even though God no longer speaks audibly to men, He doescommunicate with us through His Word, the Bible. Ourresponse to His Word should be like that of Abraham.

Abraham also laughed. There are different kinds of laugh-ter. There is the laughter which is evoked by somethingfunny. There is also the condescending laugh which mocksand ridicules. This kind of laugh is unkind and completelyunchristian. Then there is the laugh of joy. This is the typeof laugh which Abraham experienced. He heard such goodnews from God that he welled up within and erupted with alaugh of joy and faith. He realized that by the grace andgoodness of God he was going to get the one thing for whichhe had waited so long. He and Sarah were to have a sontogether.

III. A Concern for Ishmael (Gen. 17:18)

Abraham prayed to God, “O that Ishmael might live beforethee!” There are two ways we might perceive this. One wayis that Abraham did not believe what God said about himand Sarah having a child. Abraham’s faith was weak andincomplete. He did not think there was any way for him andSarah to have a child after all these years. It was Abraham’sdesire that God accept Ishmael as the heir and establish thecovenant with him.


The other way of perceiving this is that Abraham didbelieve what God said about him and Sarah having a child,but he also wanted God to bless Ishmael. Abraham’s faithwas not weak but full. He believed God would give him andSarah a son, but he also believed God was able to blessIshmael as well. Abraham did not want Ishmael to be leftout. His prayer was not an expression of faithlessness, butone of godly concern for the son of the handmaid. Abrahamwanted Ishmael to have the same relationship with God thathe enjoyed. Indeed, we should desire that every person in ourfamily knows the Lord. The expression of such a desirebegins with sincere prayer in behalf of those we know andlove. Just because a child is reared in a Christian home doesnot automatically make him a child of God. We need to doeverything we can as parents to ensure that our childrencome to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

IV. A Covenant Established (Gen. 17:19)

God affirmed that Sarah would indeed bear Abraham ason. The advanced age of Sarah was no problem for God.Even though it appeared she was past the age of bearing chil-dren, God stepped into their lives and gave them a son. TheScripture reveals, “Through faith also Sara herself receivedstrength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child whenshe was past age, because she judged him faithful who hadpromised” (Heb. 11:11).

As it was with Ishmael (Gen. 16:11), Isaac’s name wasgiven before he was born. The same was true of John theBaptist (Luke 1:13) and Jesus (verse 31). Isaac means“laughter.”

The Abrahamic Covenant was confirmed with Isaac, theson of promise. It was not made with Ishmael, the son of theflesh. The nature of God’s covenant with Isaac is seen in theword everlasting. God made an everlasting covenant withhim “and with his seed after him” (Gen. 17:19). There havebeen other covenants between God and men, such as the Lawand the Davidic Covenant, but there has never been a

Text: Genesis 17:15—21:34 23

covenant or agreement which set aside the eternalAbrahamic Covenant.

V. A Contrast Revealed (Gen. 17:20, 21)

Abraham’s prayer in behalf of Ishmael did not go unno-ticed (verse 20). God heard him and said (1) He had blessedIshmael; (2) He would make Ishmael fruitful; (3) He wouldmultiply Ishmael exceedingly; (4) Twelve princes would bebegotten of Ishmael; and (5) He would make Ishmael a greatnation. Observing the Arab world today demonstrates howliterally God’s promise has been fulfilled in Ishmael and hisseed. While we rejoice in the verity of God’s Word, we aresaddened by the fact that the Arab community is in a stateof unbelief concerning Jesus Christ and the gospel of salva-tion. Moreover, there is continuing conflict between theArabs and the Jews. The Muslim world is militant and benton the destruction of Israel.

God blessed Ishmael, but He established His covenantwith Isaac (verse 21). He also revealed to Abraham thatIsaac would be born “at this set time in the next year.” Thewait was nearly over. After about twenty-five years, God’spromise would be fulfilled.

Are you attempting to work your way into favor with God.If so, you will never succeed. We might impress other peoplewith our good works and deeds, but God views them for whatthey are—filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). There is only one sure wayto Heaven—by grace through faith in the shed blood of JesusChrist (John 14:6).

LESSON APPLICAT ION

Genesis 22:6-14

6. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering, andlaid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and aknife; and they went both of them together.

7. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, Myfather: and he said, Here am I, my son.And he said, Behold thefire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?

8. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself alamb for a burnt-offering: so they went both of them together.

9. And they came to the place which God had told him of;and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order,and bound Isaac hisson, and laid him on thealtar upon the wood.

10. And Abrahamstretched forth hishand, and took theknife to slay his son.

11. And the angel ofthe LORD called unto

The Chosen Seed

The UnconditionalCovenant

Text: Genesis 22:1�24:67 Focus: Genesis 22:6-14

Sunday Devotional: FaithObeys, Hebrews 11:17-20.

Aim: By the conclusion of this lessonthe student will explain the significanceof Abraham’s obedience in relation tothe covenant.

Daily DevotionalsM. —The Noahic Covenant, Genesis 9:8-17.T. —The New Covenant, Jeremiah 31:31-34.W. —Remember the Covenant, Luke 1:72-75.T. —The Everlasting Covenant, Genesis

17:6-8.F. —The Davidic Covenant, Psalm 89:3, 4.S. —The Land Covenant, Deuteronomy

30:1-10.

44March 25, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

Key Verse:“And in thy seed shall allthe nations of the earth beblessed; because thou hastobeyed my voice.”

Genesis 22:18

24


him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said,Here am I.

12. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither dothou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God,seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and beholdbehind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abrahamwent and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offeringin the stead of his son.

14. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall beseen.

In previous lessons we have discussed in detail how thatsalvation is wholly by grace through faith, totally apart fromany meritorious work or human effort whatsoever. Thisagrees fully with Ephesians 2:8, 9 which states, “For by graceare ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it isthe gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

In today’s lesson the question arises as to the relationshipbetween obedience and God’s promise of eternal life. Is thereany connection between good works and salvation? If so,what is it, and how does Abraham’s life illustrate it?

Obedience is evidence. Perhaps it would help clarifythings if we make a distinction between the means of salva-tion and the evidence of salvation. The means of salvation isfaith in the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:16).Salvation is by grace. Therefore, good works have absolutelyno part in the means of salvation. However, when it comes tothe evidence of salvation, good works are essential. The onlyway we can demonstrate or prove our salvation to others isby our good works.

James wrote, “I will shew thee my faith by my works”(James 2:18). How else can others see our faith? Faith, likelove, is a matter of the heart and is therefore invisible. The

LESSON ADVANCE

26 The Chosen Seed: the Unconditional Covenant

only way we can see faith is when it is displayed outwardlyin our actions. This is what Abraham did. When he offeredIsaac in obedience to God’s command, he demonstrated andproved the genuineness of his faith. James said, “Was notAbraham our father justified by works, when he had offeredIsaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wroughtwith his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”(James 2:21, 22). Abraham was not saved by faith plusworks, as some religious groups teach. Abraham was savedby grace through faith (Gal. 3:6, 26). He then gave visible evi-dence of his heartfelt faith when he obeyed God in the mat-ter of offering Isaac as a sacrifice. He was justified in the eyesof God by faith. He was justified in the eyes of men by goodworks.

Obedience is expected. If anyone believes good works arenot expected of believers, they are sadly mistaken. God fullyexpects His children to go to work for Him. Ephesians 2:10reads, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesusunto good works, which God hath before ordained that weshould walk in them.” God’s plan for our lives includes goodworks.

There are people who claim to be saved, but who never doany good works for the Savior. What are we to think of them?Either they are hypocrites (not genuinely saved), or they arewillfully disobedient. If they are genuinely saved, the Lordwill chasten and prune them in order that they might bringforth fruit (John 15:1-8). If they are pretenders, they will notexperience any chastening. The Lord does not chasten thosewho do not belong to Him (Heb. 12:6-8). The absence of chas-tening will therefore be conclusive proof of their unsaved con-dition.

God saves us for service. He expects us to work for Him.Jesus gave a parable in which He said, “Son, go work to dayin my vineyard” (Matt. 21:28). This admonition is applicableto us in that we are to work for the Savior. In another para-ble He said, “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13). There is awork to do, and He expects us to do it. Moreover, when Hereturns, we will give account to Him.


The highest mark of a son is obedience. This is truewhether we are talking about Abraham, a child of God; aboutIsaac, the son of Abraham; or about Jesus Christ, the Son ofGod who, “humbled himself, and became obedient untodeath, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8).

I. Unquestioning Obedience (Gen. 22:6, 7)

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did temptAbraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold,here I am” (Gen. 22:1). A lot had happened in Abraham’s lifeto prepare him for the greatest test of his life. He had beencalled from an idolatrous land into a land of promise. He hadwaited twenty-five long years for God to give him an heir inIsaac. He had met the king of Sodom, as well as the king ofSalem. He had watched over and even rescued Lot. When hewas forewarned by God of the destruction of Sodom andGomorrah, he pleaded with God for the deliverance of therighteous. His walk of faith had not been without its ups anddowns, however. He had stumbled a few times. Most notablywhen he tried to pass off Sarah as his sister, and when hefathered a son by Sarah’s maid, Hagar. Fourteen long yearslater, a little while after Isaac was born to Sarah, Abrahamsent Hagar and Ishmael away for good. “And Abrahamsojourned in the Philistines’ land many days” (Gen. 21:34).

Then the day came when God tested Abraham with thesewords: “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thoulovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer himthere for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which Iwill tell thee of ” (Gen. 22:2). Some might read this and thinkGod was being mean and cruel to Abraham; however, Godwas not asking Abraham to do anything that He was notwilling to do Himself. In fact, the offering of Isaac by hisfather foreshadows the offering of Jesus Christ by HisFather.

LESSON ANALYSIS


Abraham did not withhold his son from the Lord. He neverquestioned God. Early the next morning, Abraham split thewood for sacrifice, saddled his donkey, got two young menand Isaac, “and went unto the place of which God had toldhim” (Gen. 22:3). On the third day of their journey, he sawthe place afar off and told the young men to stay there, “andI and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again toyou” (verse 5). There was amazing faith in Abraham’s words.

As the two young men stayed behind, Abraham and Isaacwent forward. This was similar to the Garden of Gethsemanewhen Peter, James and John were told by Jesus to tarrythere, “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, andprayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cuppass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt”(Matt. 26:39). Father and son were alone on Mount Moriah.Father and Son were alone in the inner recesses ofGethsemane.

With the wood, the fire and the knife in hand, Abrahamand Isaac walked toward Mount Moriah, the mount of sacri-fice. As they walked, Isaac said, “Behold the fire and thewood: but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?” (Gen.22:7).

II. Unswerving Faith (Gen. 22:8-10)

Abraham answered without hesitation, “My son, God willprovide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering” (verse 8). Wordscannot fully express what Abraham must have felt in hisheart. How could a loving father give up his only son? Howcould he personally take the life of his son? Words cannotexpress the anguish of our heavenly Father who gave Hisonly begotten Son to die a sacrificial, substitutionary deathon Mount Calvary.

There is a prophetic tone in the words, “God will providehimself a lamb for a burnt-offering.” God the Father tookcounsel in eternity past with God the Son and God the HolySpirit. It was determined then by the holy Trinity that theFather would give the Son as a sacrifice for sin. Thus, Jesus


Christ is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”(Rev. 13:8). Peter spoke of Him and of our redemption “withthe precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemishand without spot: who verily was foreordained before thefoundation of the world, but was manifest in these last timesfor you” (1 Peter 1:19, 20).

As Abraham and Isaac “came to the place which God hadtold him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid thewood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on thealtar upon the wood” (Gen. 22:9). The commitment wasmade. There was no turning back. He took the knife andstretched forth his hand to slay his son.

How could this be? How could Abraham do it? Hebrews11:19 reads, “Accounting that God was able to raise him up,even from the dead; from whence also he received him in afigure.” Abraham’s faith was unswerving. He knew Godwould fulfill His promise and keep His covenant, even if itmeant raising Isaac from the dead.

Moreover, how could Isaac do what he did? There was noindication of any struggle. There were no harsh words spo-ken. He silently laid down his life without resisting. Doesthat not remind you of the Savior Jesus Christ who volun-tarily laid down His life?

III. Undeserving Grace (Gen. 22:11-14)

At that moment, the angel of the Lord called untoAbraham out of Heaven. The angel of the Lord also appearedto Hagar in Genesis chapter 16. The angel of the Lord is thepreincarnate Christ. He spoke to Abraham “out of heaven”and the patriarch responded, “Here am I.” This is the sameresponse Abraham gave in Genesis 22:1. It was a response ofsubmission and humility.

The angel of the Lord told Abraham not to lay his handupon the lad, saying, “for now I know that thou fearest God”(verse 12). Did God know Abraham’s heart before the test?Yes, but now Abraham knew it also. The fiery trial is neverwithout purpose (1 Peter 1:7).


Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram which wascaught in a thicket by his horns. God had indeed provided forHimself a sacrifice. Abraham took the ram and “offered himup for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son” (Gen. 22:13).The ram was a substitute for Isaac, like Jesus Christ was asubstitutionary sacrifice for us. He took our place on thecross of Calvary and suffered the wrath of God against sin inorder that we might be saved (1 Peter 3:18).

Much relieved and deeply moved by the grace of God,Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh, whichmeans “the Lord sees or the Lord provides.” God sawAbraham’s need, and He provided a sacrifice to meet hisneed. God saw our great need and provided His only begot-ten Son as the sacrifice to meet our need.

When God called, Abraham answered. He responded withfaith and action. He obeyed God without hesitation. Can wesay the same about ourselves? God no longer speaks to menaudibly, but He does speak to us through His Word. Do wehear and heed the Word of God? Do we believe God? Do weobey God? James made it clear that we are to be “doers of theword, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). If we hear it but donothing about it, we are deceiving ourselves. “Faith withoutworks is dead” (James 2:20).

LESSON APPLICAT ION

Genesis 25:5-11

5. And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.6. But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had,

Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son,while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

7. And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life whichhe lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.

8. Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good oldage, an old man, and full ofyears; and was gathered tohis people.

9. And his sons Isaacand Ishmael buried him inthe cave of Machpelah, inthe field of Ephron the sonof Zohar the Hittite, whichis before Mamre;

The Chosen Seed

The CovenantContinues

Text: Genesis 25:1-18; 26:1-33 Focus: 25:5-11

Sunday Devotional: En-during Faithfulness, Psalm119:88-91.

Aim: By the conclusion of thislesson the student will discussthe faithfulness of God to pre-serve His covenant with Abra-ham’s seed.

Key Verse:“And the LORD appeared unto himthe same night, and said, I am theGod of Abraham thy father: fear not,for I am with thee, and will blessthee, and multiply thy seed for myservant Abraham’s sake.”

Genesis 26:24

Daily Devotionals

M. —Faithfulness Exalted, Psalm 36:5-10.T. —Faithfulness Declared, Psalm 40:1-

10.W. —Faithfulness Established, Psalm

89:1-6.T. —Faithfulness Answers, Psalm 143:1-6.F. —Faithfulness Girds, Isaiah 11:1-5.S. —Great Faithfulness, Lamentations

3:21-26.

55April 1, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

31

32 The Chosen Seed: the Covenant Continues

10. The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth:there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

11. And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that Godblessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahai-roi.

When the inspired writer of Hebrews wanted to encouragehis readers to maintain their profession and keep the faith,he used Abraham and the promises of God as a motivatingexample. “For when God made promise to Abraham, becausehe could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying,Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will mul-tiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, heobtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater:and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto theheirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed itby an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it wasimpossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation,who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set beforeus: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sureand stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil”(Heb. 6:13-19).

Throughout eternity past, God has never lied. Neither canHe lie at the present time. This is affirmed by the words, “itwas impossible for God to lie.” God will not lie in the futureages to come. God is immutable, which means His nature isunchanging. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the LORD, I changenot.” Therefore, those of us who have fled to Him for refugehave a strong consolation and a sure and steadfast hopewhich is an anchor for the soul. We are assured that Hispromises are reliable and true. We can serve Him in confi-dence all the days of our lives. He will never let us down. AsHebrews 13:5, 6 declares, “Let your conversation be withoutcovetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: forhe hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that

LESSON ADVANCE

Text: Genesis 25:1-18; 26:1-33 33

we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fearwhat man shall do unto me.”

Today’s lesson material explains what happened toAbraham, Ishmael and Isaac.

I. Abraham’s Marriage (Gen. 25:1-4)

Following the death of Sarah, Abraham took a wife namedKeturah. Sarah was ninety years old when Isaac was born.She was one hundred twenty-seven when she died. Isaacwas about thirty-seven and still unwed at the time of hismother’s death. Sarah never had the privilege of seeing anyof her grandchildren in spite of the Lord’s promise to makeher a mother of nations (Gen. 17:16).

The marriage to Keturah brings up several issues. First,how did God view marriage in the Old Testament? Did Heintend for man to have multiple wives? The answer goes allthe way back to the Garden of Eden. How many wives didGod provide for Adam? Only one. Could He have made more?Certainly, but as Malachi said, God made one wife for Adam“that he might seek a godly seed” (Malachi 2:15). God mayhave tolerated polygamy, but He never intended it. Jesusconfirmed the “one man, one woman” ideal when He said,“For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, andshall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”(Matt. 19:5). He said “wife,” not “wives.” He said “theytwain,” not “they three or they four.”

Another question concerns marriage after the death of aspouse. Is this permissible? The answer is found in 1Corinthians 7:39, which reads, “The wife is bound by the lawas long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead,she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in theLord.” The principle applies to either spouse who remains.The husband is likewise free to marry if his wife dies.

LESSON ANALYSIS


A third question concerns concubines because 1 Chronicles1:32 identifies Keturah as Abraham’s concubine. What is aconcubine? A concubine was a female slave or mistress withwhom a man was lawfully permitted to have intimate rela-tions. Concubines were protected by law in the ancientworld, so they could not be sold if the man lost interest inthem. The Law of Moses also recognized the rights of concu-bines and guarded them from ill treatment (Ex. 21:7-11;Deut. 21:10-14). Abraham, Jacob, Gideon and Saul all hadconcubines, but Solomon had the most with three hundred (1Kings 11:3).

II. Abraham’s Heir (Gen. 25:5, 6)

Keturah gave Abraham six sons. They became thefounders of six Arabian tribes in southern and easternPalestine. Like their mother, Keturah, they were no doubt acomfort to Abraham in his old age; however, Abraham “gaveall that he had unto Isaac” (verse 5).

Abraham understood that Isaac was God’s choice. Isaacwas the promised seed. Earlier, God had said, “in Isaac shallthy seed be called” (Gen. 21:12) and “I will establish mycovenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with hisseed after him” (Gen. 17:19). Abraham knew that God hadchosen Isaac, and he wanted everyone else to know it as well.By giving Isaac all that he had, he publically declared Isaacto be his heir. The sons of Keturah were given gifts and sentaway from Isaac. They were not allowed to remain in thecountry with Isaac.

III. Abraham’s Death (Gen. 25:7-11)

All men die: rich and poor, small and great, good and bad.There are no exceptions. The Bible plainly states, “And as itis appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judg-ment” (Heb. 9:27). Abraham was indeed a great man. He wascalled the friend of God (James 2:23); nevertheless, he diedat the age of one hundred seventy-five years.

Text: Genesis 25:1-18; 26:1-33 35

Abraham lived a good life, died in an old age, and was“gathered to his people” (Gen. 25:8). This is a good way oflooking at death for the believer. Death will be a home goingfor the child of God. The account of Abraham’s death oughtto provide a lesson for everyone. We will all pass from thisexistence into eternity. We will face God in judgment and liveeternally in one of two places. If we have trusted JesusChrist as our personal Savior, we will live eternally inHeaven; however, if we have not, we will live eternally in thelake of fire. Do not allow death to take you by surprise. Beprepared.

Few things bring a family together like a death in the fam-ily. Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham “in the cave ofMachpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar theHittite” (verse 9). Isaac and Ishmael had their differences,but they came together when it was time to honor theirfather. Sarah had previously died in Hebron and was buriedin the same cave in which Abraham was buried. Abrahamhad purchased the field of Machpelah from Ephron theHittite when Sarah died.

Following Abraham’s death, verse 11 states “that Godblessed his son Isaac.” The promises He had made toAbraham concerning Isaac were kept. He did not forget.

IV. Abraham’s Descendants (Gen. 25:12-18)

Following the death of Abraham, the next death recordedin the Bible is that of Ishmael. God had promised that theson of the bondwoman, Hagar, would not go unblessed. Sowhat happened to Ishmael and the promise God had madeconcerning him? The record is given by Moses before turninghis attention upon Isaac.

Ishmael was blessed in many ways. He had twelve sonswho became princes and built nations. On the materialisticand physical side of the ledger, Ishmael was tremendouslyblessed. However, Ishmael got a zero on the spiritual side.He was an unbeliever to the end. That was, of course,Ishmael’s fault, not God’s. It is true that Abraham could have


set a better example. He could have done a better job reveal-ing God to Ishmael, but Ishmael was still without excuse.

Ishmael was inherently rebellious. He was the son of theflesh, and he typified the flesh. He resented Isaac and allthat Isaac represented. All of this reminds us of the impor-tance of the home. Ideally, every home should be free from allfactions, bitterness, strife and envy. Would to God that inevery home dad was a godly spiritual leader, and mom was atrue helpmate. Hypocrisies and inconsistencies stand outlike a sore thumb to a teenager. They do not like being told,“Do as I say, not as I do.” They expect those in authority overthem to be consistent and true.

Ishmael surely knew about God and about the promise ofGod to bless Abraham and the whole world through His cho-sen seed; however, there is no indication that Ishmael everacknowledged the lineage of Isaac. He and his sons havegiven us the Arab world and the anti-Christian religion ofIslam. The descendants of Ishmael control most of theworld’s oil supply and thereby hold much of the worldhostage. Industrialized nations are so dependent upon Araboil that they hesitate to do anything without first askingthemselves what the Arab world will think about it.Religiously, the sons of Ishmael have produced the falseprophet Muhammad and substituted the Koran for the Wordof God. They have propagated their religion in the most mil-itant fashion and are intolerant of all others. They fullyintend to take over the world and exterminate the Jews.

A few years ago I was driving down the streets of our cityand saw a bumper sticker on the vehicle ahead of me whichread, “Islam is the Solution.” In my mind, I thought, “No, itis not the solution, it is the problem!” Any religion whichrejects the lineage of Isaac and his seed Jesus Christ may besaid to be a part of the problem but not of the solution. Anti-Christian religions, reject Jesus Christ as the Lamb of Godand only Savior of the world. They substitute works for faith,legalism for liberty, and false writings for the Word of God.

Text: Genesis 25:1-18; 26:1-33 37

The chosen seed is in Isaac, not Ishmael. The way and theperson of salvation has come through Isaac’s lineage, notIshmael’s. Jesus Christ is the way. He is not one of manyways. He is the only way. He said, “I am the way, the truth,and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”(John 14:6).

The apostle Paul did his best to explain this to theGalatians who thought there might be another way. He said,“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that calledyou into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is notanother; but there be some that trouble you, and would per-vert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel fromheaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that whichwe have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:6-8).This includes the sons of Ishmael and all others who wouldpervert the simple plan of salvation which is by gracethrough faith in Jesus Christ, the Seed of Isaac and ofAbraham.

When a person rejects Jesus Christ, he rejects the onlyway of salvation. It is Christ, not Muhammad or any othersupposed prophet, who “hath redeemed us from the curse ofthe law, being made a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). Christ diedon the cross of Calvary “that the blessing of Abraham mightcome on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we mightreceive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (verse 14).

LESSON APPLICAT ION

Genesis 25:19-2619. And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son:

Abraham begat Isaac:20. And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to

wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sis-ter to Laban the Syrian.

21. And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she wasbarren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah hiswife conceived.

22. And the children struggled together within her; and shesaid, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of theLORD.

23. And the LORD said un-to her, Two nations are in thywomb, and two manner ofpeople shall be separatedfrom thy bowels; and the onepeople shall be strongerthan the other people; andthe elder shall serve theyounger.

The Chosen Seed

The Divine ChoiceText: Genesis 25:19-34; 26:34, Focus: Genesis 25:19-26

35; 27:1-40

Sunday Devotional: God’sChoice, Romans 9:10-13.

Aim: By the conclusion of thislesson the student will explainthat God’s sovereignty does notoverride man’s accountability.

Key Verse:“And the LORD said unto her, Twonations are in thy womb, and twomanner of people shall be separatedfrom thy bowels; and the one peopleshall be stronger than the other peo-ple; and the elder shall serve theyounger.” Genesis 25:23

Daily Devotionals

M. —Esau’s Inheritance, Deuteronomy 2:1-8.

T. —Jacob’s Inheritance, Deuteronomy6:10-25.

W. —Esau’s Calamity, Jeremiah 49:7-22.T. —Jacob’s Transgression, Micah 3:1-

12.F. —Esau’s Folly, Hebrews 12:16, 17.S. —Jacob’s Blessing, Micah 7:7-20.

66April 8, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

38

Text: Genesis 25:19-34; 26:34, 35; 27:1-40 39

24. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold,there were twins in her womb.

25. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment;and they called his name Esau.

26. And after that came his brother out, and his hand tookhold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaacwas threescore years old when she bare them.

The Aim of today’s lesson is that we will explain that God’ssovereignty does not override man’s accountability.

God’s sovereignty. Neither this world nor those who livetherein are here by accident. God the creator and sustainerof the universe has a plan and purpose for everything (Eph.1:10, 11). This plan is based upon His sovereignty and isbeing worked out by means of His omnipotence and provi-dence. There are some things which God causes directly bydivine intervention, and there are other things which He per-mits or allows.

The phrase sovereignty of God refers to the unlimitedpower of God. He is omnipotent and therefore above all oth-ers. No one can tell God what to do nor prevent God fromdoing what He has purposed to do. God said, “My counselshall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isa. 46:10). Hesaid, “Yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I havepurposed it, I will also do it” (verse 11). It is evident that mendo not always do the will of God, nor do all men desire to dothe will of God; nonetheless, the disobedience of men cannotkeep God from doing what He has purposed. Daniel 4:35states, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed asnothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army ofheaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and nonecan stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?”

LESSON ADVANCE

40 The Chosen Seed: the Divine Choice

Man’s accountability. One of the questions we hear—“Does God’s foreknowledge predestinate?” In other words, ifGod knows something will happen tomorrow, does that meanGod makes it happen? Is God responsible for it? The answeris no, and it is easy to see why. God knows who will commitmurder or some other crime tomorrow, but His foreknowl-edge of the event does not make Him responsible for theevent. If it did, God would be guilty of evil.

Another question we hear—“Does God’s sovereigntyremove man’s accountability?” If God’s sovereignty makesthe outcome inevitable, does that mean man has no choice orpersonal responsibility in the matter? Again, the answer isno. Man is responsible for his actions. Man has a will and theability to exercise his will. We all make choices, and we areaccountable to God for the choices we make. Paul said, “Sothen every one of us shall give account of himself to God”(Rom. 14:12). If we were not responsible for our choices andactions, there would be no need for a day of reckoning.

Still another question we hear—“Are some people predes-tinated to be saved and some predestinated to be lost?”There are a lot of things about the sovereignty of God thatare not understood. His ways are above our ways, and Histhoughts are past finding out (Rom. 11:33); however, God’ssovereignty and choice in no way overrides man’s free willand accountability. Jesus died for the whole world, “And heis the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but alsofor the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Hebrews 2:9emphasizes the fact that Jesus Christ, by the grace of Godtasted death for every man. Moreover, churches are commis-sioned to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everycreature (Mark 16:15). And the last invitation in the Bible is,“And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely”(Rev. 22:17). These Scriptures confirm that man has a choiceand that God’s sovereignty will not override that choice.

Text: Genesis 25:19-34; 26:34, 35; 27:1-40 41

God chose Isaac over Ishmael, and God chose Jacob overEsau. The heir and lineage of the Abrahamic Covenant wentfrom Abraham to Isaac to Jacob. “They which are the childrenof the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the childrenof the promise are counted for the seed” (Romans 9:8).Ishmael, the child of the flesh, was rejected. Likewise, Esau,the man who was driven by fleshly desires, was rejected.

I. Isaac’s Wife (Gen. 25:19-21)

Now the Scriptures turn our attention from Ishmael toIsaac. Ishmael is not mentioned again in the book of Genesis,until 28:9, where we learn that Esau married a daughter ofIshmael to spite his father.

Their lineage (verses 19, 20). Isaac’s lineage was impec-cable. He was the son, the only son, of Abraham (Gen. 22:2).Abraham was a friend of God and the father of the faithful(James 2:23; Gal. 3:9). Isaac was heir to all that Abrahampossessed, but more importantly, Isaac was heir to all thatGod promised.

When Abraham began to look for a wife for Isaac, he deter-mined not to take a bride from the pagan Canaanites, amongwhom he dwelt. Instead, he sent his faithful servant back tohis own country and kindred (Gen. 24:2-4). The servantobeyed and guided by God’s providence found Rebekah, “thedaughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister toLaban the Syrian” (Gen. 25:20). When her family asked,“Wilt thou go with this man?” Rebekah answered, “I will go”(Gen. 24:58). The picture is a beautiful one, especially whenIsaac is compared to God’s Son Jesus Christ, and Rebekah iscompared to those who choose to follow Him.

Their limitations (verse 21). Apparently, people in OldTestament times did not get in a big hurry about gettingmarried, as some people do today. They did live longer in

LESSON ANALYSIS


those days, and that may have been a factor. Isaac was fortywhen he married Rebekah.

We are told that Isaac entreated the Lord for his wifebecause she was barren. The problem was with Rebekah, notwith Isaac. In Rebekah’s culture this was a great shame andreproach. The barrenness of Rebekah illustrates a spiritualtruth. Just because she was joined to Abraham’s son did notmake her fruitful. Likewise, there are those today, thoughjoined to God’s Son by faith, who are still not fruitful. Thefault does not lie with the Son, Jesus Christ, but with theindividual.

Isaac set an example for us to follow. He prayed to God. Heasked God to intervene and make his wife fruitful. The inter-cession of Isaac, the representative of Christ, was the keyfactor in Rebekah becoming fruitful. It is the intercession ofChrist Himself, on behalf of those who are joined to Him infaith, that is the key factor in our becoming fruitful. We cando nothing of ourselves. The branch cannot produce apartfrom the Vine (Jesus).

II. Rebekah’s Struggle (Gen. 25:22, 23)

The birth of Jacob and Esau was the first recorded birth oftwins in the Bible. There may have been others, but none arerecorded.

Her struggle. Rebekah did indeed conceive and “the chil-dren struggled together within her” (verse 22). The struggleof the children within her womb caused Rebekah to ask, “Ifit be so, why am I thus?” She wanted to know why she washaving so much trouble. If her conception was a blessingfrom God, why was it not easier to bear? Rebekah’s experi-ence illustrates the experience of the child of God who beginsto bear fruit for Him. We might expect everything to go wellfor us once we truly dedicate ourselves to serving Christ;however, the flesh seems to respond and fight with an equalforce against the Spirit. The fruitful life is not an easy lifebecause the devil and our fallen nature will fight it all theway.

Text: Genesis 25:19-34; 26:34, 35; 27:1-40 43

Her supplication. Rebekah “went to enquire of the LORD”(verse 22). She did the best possible thing she could havedone. She looked to the Lord for an answer. She prayed abouther situation. When we experience the struggle between theflesh and the Spirit, we should pray and ask God for help, forstrength and for understanding. We should then listen forHis answer. The way He answers us is through His Word.Read it prayerfully and submissively. It will speak to yourheart.

God explained to Rebekah that two nations and two man-ner of people were in her womb. The two nations were Israeland Edom. Jacob’s name was later changed to Israel, thus,Jacob is Israel. Esau is Edom (Gen. 36:1). He is the father ofthe Edomites (verses 8, 9).

God told Rebekah “the one people shall be stronger thanthe other people; and the elder shall serve the younger” (Gen.25:23). When we apply this to the old nature and the newnature, we see a great lesson. As Esau was older, the sinnature is older than the new nature; however, the older is tobe subservient to the younger (new nature). The new natureis to rule over the old nature. In our daily experience, this isnot always the case; however, in the end we are promisedultimate victory by means of the resurrection and glorifica-tion of the body.

There will be a continuing conflict between the old natureand the new. The apostle Paul explained this ongoing conflictwhen he said, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, andthe Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one tothe other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal.5:17). The old nature is not eradicated in the salvation expe-rience. We will have to put up with it until we die. It does,however, lose its right to control our lives.

III. Jacob and Esau’s Birth (Gen. 25:24-26)

It must have surely been a day of celebration for Isaacwhen Rebekah gave birth to twin boys.


The firstborn (verse 25). The first to be born was Esau.He “came out red, all over like an hairy garment.” Redmeans “ruddy.” The same word was used to describe Davidin 1 Samuel 16:12 and 17:42. Esau was not of the same char-acter as David. Esau was of the world; worldly, carnal andfleshly. He was a man of the field, a cunning hunter.

As the firstborn, Esau had three distinct privileges. First,there were property rights. As the oldest son, Esau wouldhave anticipated a double portion of the inheritance from hisfather. Second, there were priestly rights. As the head of thefamily, Esau would have had the privilege of leading his fam-ily spiritually and acting as intercessor in behalf of the fam-ily. Third, there were rights of progenitorship. This is a bigword which means that Esau would have been the one whoselineage led to Christ. What a grand privilege it would havebeen, but Esau thought nothing of it. The spiritual and eter-nal meant nothing to Esau. He sold his birthright to Jacobfor a meager bowl of stew (Gen. 25:27-34).

The second born (verse 26). Jacob was born last but inanticipation of the promise which God had made to Rebekah,the younger (Jacob) took hold on the heel of the older (Esau).Jacob was not perfect, but he seemed to desire the thingswhich God desired. Jacob’s methods were not always right,but his motives were right. He saw the importance of thatwhich was spiritual and eternal, and he laid hold on thosethings with all his might.

What motivates us? Jacob was motivated by things spiri-tual and eternal but Esau by things material and physical.Have we set our affection on things above and not on thingsof the earth (Col. 3:2)?

LESSON APPLICAT ION

Genesis 28:10-1510. And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward

Haran.11. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all

night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of thatplace, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place tosleep.

12. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth,and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels ofGod ascending and descending on it.

13. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am theLORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the landwhereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thoushalt spread abroad tothe west, and to the east,and to the north, and tothe south: and in theeand in thy seed shall allthe families of the earthbe blessed.

The Chosen Seed

The PromiseText: Genesis 27:41�28:22 Focus: Genesis 28:10-15

Sunday Devotional: OnPaying Vows, Psalm 116:12-17.

Aim: By the conclusion of thislesson the student will explainthe significance of God’s promiseat Beth-el.

Daily DevotionalsM. —Idolatry at Beth-el, 1 Kings 12:25-33.T. —Prophecy at Beth-el, 1 Kings 13:1-3.W. —Elijah at Beth-el, 2 Kings 2:1-13.T. —Teaching at Beth-el, 2 Kings 17:24-28.F. —Cleansing at Beth-el, 2 Kings 23:3-19.S. —Found in Beth-el, Hosea 12:1-5.

77April 15, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

Key Verse:“And, behold, I am with thee, andwill keep thee in all places whitherthou goest, and will bring theeagain into this land; for I will notleave thee, until I have done thatwhich I have spoken to thee of.”

Genesis 28:15

45

46 The Chosen Seed: the Promise

15. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in allplaces whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into thisland; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I havespoken to thee of.

God’s Word is filled with promises. The difference is thatGod always keeps His promises without fail. You or I mightmake a promise and not keep it, either intentionally or unin-tentionally; however, God never makes a promise that Hedoes not keep. He has the will and the strength to keep Hispromises in every conceivable circumstance and situation.Something beyond our control might prevent us from keep-ing our promises, but there is no power in the universe whichcould keep God from fulfilling His promises. Think for amoment about the following seven promises which God hasmade to us through His Word.

1. He has promised to save all who come to Him in repen-tance and faith. John 6:37 declares, “All that the Fathergiveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I willin no wise cast out.” This promise has never failed, and itnever will.

2. He has promised to keep every believer eternally secure.Jesus said, “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me,that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, butshould raise it up again at the last day” (verse 39). In orderfor a believer to lose his salvation and miss the first resur-rection, Jesus would have to become a liar.

3. He has promised to meet the needs of those who sacrifi-cially serve Him. Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shallsupply all your need according to his riches in glory by ChristJesus.”

4. He has promised to chasten and correct His children,especially those who persistently disobey Him. Hebrews 12:6says, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scour-geth every son whom he receiveth.”

LESSON ADVANCE

Text: Genesis 27:41—28:22 47

5. God has promised His continuing presence and protec-tion. He said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb.13:5).

6. He has promised to meet together with His churches.Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together inmy name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20).

7. He has promised to return and reward His servants.Revelation 22:12 says, “And, behold, I come quickly; and myreward is with me, to give every man according as his workshall be.”

God made wonderful promises to Jacob like He did to hisfather Isaac and to his grandfather Abraham.

I. Jacob’s Death Threat (Gen. 27:41-46)

Jacob’s twin brother, Esau, hated Jacob because Jacob hadbought Esau’s birthright for a bowl of stew and had stolenhis father’s blessing by trickery and deceit. It seems every-one had gotten all excited one day and thought Isaac wasgoing to die, including Isaac himself, who called Esau andtold him what he wanted for his last supper before givinghim the patriarchal blessing. Rebekah overheard Isaac’splan and implemented one of her own. She told Jacob exact-ly what to do and how to steal the blessing away from Esau.Everything worked out according to Rebekah’s plan, exceptthat Esau became so enraged that he determined to murderJacob as soon as the days of mourning for his father were fin-ished. Rebekah learned of this matter also, and she againinitiated a plan of her own. She told Jacob to flee to Labanher brother in Haran. To complete the scheme, Rebekah toldIsaac that if Jacob took a wife of the daughters of Heth, thather life would be no good to her. This was her way of gettingIsaac to send Jacob to Haran to look for a wife and therebyescape the wrath of Esau.

LESSON ANALYSIS


After all the scheming and plotting, Isaac did not die.Rebekah lost Jacob for twenty years while he served Laban,but when Jacob returned, Isaac was still alive.

II. Jacob’s Directive (Gen. 28:1-9)

Urged on by Rebekah, Isaac told Jacob not to take a wifeof the daughters of Canaan. Instead, Isaac wanted Jacob togo to Padan-aram, where he would find his mother’s father,Bethuel and where he was to take a wife from the daughtersof Laban, his mother’s brother. Padan-aram was the regionin northern Mesopotamia surrounding Haran.

Isaac sent Jacob away with a perceptive as well asprophetic blessing. “God Almighty bless thee, and make theefruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitudeof people; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, andto thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the landwherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham”(Gen. 28:3, 4). Isaac was aware of the significance of theAbrahamic Covenant. He also knew that the covenant wouldbe continued through Jacob, not Esau, his favorite son. Asthe covenant was continued through Isaac, Abraham’s sec-ond born, so it was continued through Jacob, Isaac’s secondborn.

When Esau saw that Isaac had sent Jacob away to find awife and when he realized how much the daughters of theCanaanites displeased his father, Esau went unto Ishmaeland took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, to be his wife.Esau may have done this out of spite, but there are com-mentators who think it was an attempt to please his fatherand mother.

III. Jacob’s Departure (Gen. 28:10, 11)

Think about how Jacob must have felt as he traveledtoward Haran to seek a wife. He had been reared in a believ-er’s home, but in the writer’s opinion there is no indicationthat he was a believer himself. Jacob had taken advantage ofothers and schemed his way through life. Almost everyone inhis family had been offended by him. He had bought his

Text: Genesis 27:41—28:22 49

brother’s birthright, lied repeatedly to his father and hadstolen the much-coveted blessing of his father from Esau.Jacob had few friends left. Jacob’s own brother was so bittertoward him that he was planning his assassination. BecauseJacob was cut off from his family, he must have felt alone inthe world.

A Christian home is a wonderful thing. God’s desire is thatevery home would be built upon Jesus Christ and the Wordof God. Nevertheless, a child is not saved simply because hisparents are saved. Living in a Christian home is a blessing,but it does not automatically make one a child of God.Parents need to take special interest in the salvation of theirchildren and seek to lead them to Christ. Do not leave thatresponsibility to others.

As Jacob went out from Beer-sheba toward Haran, hecame to a “certain place” and stayed there all night. It wasby the providence of God that Jacob came to the same placewhere his grandfather, Abraham, had built an altar to theLord when he first came into the Promised Land (Gen. 12:8).It was to this same place that God told Jacob to return andbuild an altar years later (Gen. 35:1-3). Following the divi-sion of the kingdom after the death of Solomon, Jeroboambuilt an idolatrous altar in Beth-el to keep the people fromreturning to Jerusalem to worship (1 Kings 12:28, 29).

IV. Jacob’s Dream (Gen. 28:12-15)

God made His first appearance to Jacob in a dream. Jacobdreamed that a ladder was set up on the earth and the top ofit reached to Heaven. There were angels of God ascendingand descending on the ladder. God Himself stood above theladder and spoke to Jacob in the dream, revealing Himself toJacob as the God of Abraham and Isaac. The scene is one ofinfinite grace because there was nothing in Jacob which wasdeserving of such a wonderful experience. Nor do any of usdeserve what God gives us. It is all of grace (Rom. 4:16; 1 Cor.15:10).

In his vision, Jacob learned several things. He learnedwho God is. He learned that the God of Abraham and Isaac


could be his God as well. He learned there is a Heaven, thedwelling place of God. And he learned there is a way toHeaven. We know the way to Heaven is Jesus Christ, theonly begotten Son of God who died on Calvary in our behalf.He is the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to theFather, except through Him (John 14:6).

God confirmed the Abrahamic Covenant with Jacob. Hepromised Jacob and his seed the land whereon he lay.(Compare Genesis 15:18.) He promised Jacob’s descendantswould be as the dust of the earth and would spread out north,south, east and west. As He did with Abraham, God promisedthat in Jacob and his “seed” would “all the families of theearth be blessed” (Gen. 28:14). God also promised to be withJacob wherever he went and that He would bring him againinto the land of promise. God said, “For I will not leave thee,until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (verse15). What a comforting revelation this must have been toJacob as he left family behind and journeyed toward astrange land in search of a wife. Likewise, God’s presence isa comfort to us as we go into all the world and search forthose who have not heard the gospel message (Matt. 28:18-20).

V. Jacob’s Decision (Gen. 28:16-22)

Jacob awoke from his dream and was afraid. Awe and rev-erence filled his heart as he contemplated the significance ofwhat had happened and how that the Abrahamic Covenanthad been confirmed with him. He took the stones he hadused for a pillow and made a pillar or memorial, upon whichhe poured oil as an act of worship. He called the place Beth-el, which means “house of God.” Jacob said, “Surely the LORD

is in this place; and I knew it not” (verse 16). Jacob also vowed a vow. He promised that if God would be

with him, keep him, provide for him, and bring him homeagain in peace, he would make the Lord his God. In thewriter’s opinion, Jacob arrived at Beth-el an unbeliever andwas saved at this point in his life. He also vowed to give God

Text: 27:41—28:22 51

a tenth of all that He gave him. It is amazing to see how thepurse strings are loosed once the heart is made right withGod. When a man loves God, he will find it a joy to give.

Jacob did something many fail to do: he truly worshipedGod. He heard from God, and he was changed. He was over-come with reverence and respect. Too many of us have lostsight of what it means to truly worship God. True worshiprequires that we humble ourselves before Him and yield our-selves to Him. Many of us are not willing to do it. We areproud, self-righteous and self-sufficient. Our time in worshipis spent admiring what we have done, instead of what Godhas done. We hear the message from the Word of God, but weoften leave unmoved and unchanged. May we not allow thisto happen to us.

LESSON APPLICAT ION

Genesis 29:20-27

20. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and theyseemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

21. And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my daysare fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

22. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place,and made a feast.

23. And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah hisdaughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

24. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maidfor an handmaid.

25. And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it wasLeah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done untome? did not I serve withthee for Rachel? where-fore then hast thoubeguiled me?

26. And Laban said, Itmust not be so done inour country, to give theyounger before the first-born.

The Chosen Seed

The Covenant FamilyText: Genesis 29:1�30:43 Focus: Genesis 29:20-27

Sunday Devotional: Grow-ing in Grace, 2 Peter 3:18.

Aim: By the conclusion of thislesson the student will trace God’sdirection in Jacob’s spiritual devel-opment.

Daily Devotionals

M. —Evidence of Love, Proverbs 3:5-12.T. —Why Affliction, Psalm 119:65-72.W. —Blessing of Chastening, Psalm 94:11-

15.T. —Divine Correction, Hebrews 12:10-15.F. —Spiritual Development, Hebrews

5:12-14.S. —Law of the Harvest, Galatians 6:7-9.

88April 22, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

52

Key Verse:“Give me my wives and my chil-dren, for whom I have servedthee, and let me go: for thouknowest my service which Ihave done thee.”

Genesis 30:26


27. Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the ser-vice which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

You have heard it said many times that those who areignorant of history are bound to repeat it. This is one reasonthere is great personal profit in reading and studying aboutthe lives of Old Testament saints. Even though they lived ina totally different era and culture, their lives teach us valu-able spiritual and practical lessons. There may be a few whoare not interested in the Old Testament or who think wespend too much time in the Old Testament, but the NewTestament itself tells us, “these things happened unto themfor ensamples: and they are written for our admonition” (1Cor. 10:11). So if our goal is to be better Christians, we shouldstudy and learn from the lives of the Old Testament saints.Whether good or bad, their lives show us what we can expectin our own lives. Jacob is a classic example.

God’s direction. We often mention God’s providence, butwe seldom define it because we assume everyone knows whatit is. But in case the word is new to you, we will define.Providence is “divine guidance or care.” It is God’s unseenhand, sustaining and guiding human destiny.

Some people believe in luck or fate. They do not view Godas being interested in human affairs. They think everythingjust happens. But when you study the Bible as a whole, youbegin to get a different picture of God and how He deals withmen. God is not an aloof, disinterested deity. Instead, He isinterested and personally involved in our lives. Whether werealize it or not, God is working providentially in our behalf(Rom. 8:28, 29).

There are several people in the book of Genesis whose livesdemonstrate the providence of God. Jacob is one. Joseph isanother. There were times when Jacob did not walk in theway God intended; nevertheless, God still worked in his lifeto bring him to the place where He wanted him to be.

LESSON ADVANCE

54 The Chosen Seed: the Covenant Family

We should pray for and covet God’s providential leader-ship in our lives (Psalm 31:3). Let us permit God to order oursteps and direct our paths (Prov. 3:6). Let us be where Hewants us to be, doing what He wants us to do. We do notalways make right decisions, but even when we take a wrongturn, let us pray that God will overrule and work things outto bring us into the place where He can use us for His glory.

God’s discipline. When we take a wrong turn or make awrong decision, what does God do then? What if we deliber-ately disobey Him? One thing is certain: God does not giveup on His own. Instead, He sends us to the school of person-al experience and lets us learn a lesson or two the difficultway. Discipline may be out of vogue in our culture, but Godstill believes in it (Heb. 12:5-11). Some do not seem to under-stand, but God disciplines us because He loves us. Disciplineis proof of His love. If God did not love us, He would allow usto continue in our disobedience unchecked and uncorrected;however, God loves His own and chastens us to bring us backinto the path He has chosen for us.

I. Jacob’s Search (Gen. 29:1-12)

With Beer-sheba and the Promised Land behind him,Jacob set out for Haran in search of a wife. There was moreto it, of course, but this was the best solution Isaac andRebekah could find for a bad situation. Along the way, Jacobmet the God of Abraham and Isaac at Beth-el, the house ofGod. At that most significant place, the Abrahamic Covenantwas confirmed in Jacob, who said, “Then shall the LORD bemy God” (Gen. 28:21).

Jacob continued his journey along the Fertile Crescent asa changed man, a saved man; however, he still had a lot tolearn. Just because a person is saved does not mean he willalways do the thing that is pleasing to God. There is a lessonin this for us. Salvation is instantaneous, but spiritual matu-

LESSON ANALYSIS


rity is not. The birth of a baby is a good illustration. Thephysical birth takes place at a specific moment in time. It iscomplete. It can never be repeated. Nevertheless, we expecta baby to grow and mature mentally and physically.Likewise, salvation is a spiritual birth which is complete andperfect. It can never be repeated. Moreover, we expect thosewho have been born into the family of God to begin to growspiritually. This is a process which takes place over the life-time of the believer. (Compare 2 Peter 1:5-8.)

Jacob came into the land of the people of the east and sawa well in the field. There were three flocks of sheep lying byit. Jacob said to the shepherds, “My brethren, whence be ye?”(Gen. 29:4). They said, “Of Haran are we.” He asked, “Knowye Laban the son of Nahor?” They answered, “We know him”(verse 5). He asked, “Is he well?” They said, “He is well” (verse6). It is difficult to read between the lines, but the shepherdsdid not seem talkative. Perhaps they were suspicious of thisrugged looking stranger. Finally, they said, “Behold, Rachelhis daughter cometh with the sheep” (verse 6).

Jacob wanted to know why the shepherds did not water thesheep and return to the pasture. There was plenty of daylightleft, but they gave an excuse about having to wait until all theflocks were gathered before they could remove the rock fromthe mouth of the well. Jacob did not seem to understand it,nor do we. There is one thing about Jacob which cannot bedenied. He was not a lazy man, and he did not care for idlepeople. As Rachel approached with her father’s sheep, Jacobrolled the stone away himself and watered her flock. We maywonder what the shepherds thought about it, but they did notinterfere. Perhaps they recognized they were dealing with aman who was strong in more ways than one.

In customary fashion, Jacob kissed Rachel, lifted up hisvoice and wept. Then he told her he was her father’s relativeand that he was Rebekah’s son. Rachel ran to tell her father,Laban.

II. Jacob’s Servitude (Gen. 29:13-19)

Guided by God’s providence, Jacob was led to Laban, hismother’s brother, who greeted him and took him into his house.


When Abraham’s servant had journeyed to this place lookingfor a bride for Isaac, he came with expensive goods, gifts andgold. Not so with Jacob. He was bright and he was bold, but hewas broke. Yet Laban said, “Surely thou art my bone and myflesh” (verse 14). And Jacob stayed with him a month.

Laban was a shrewd man himself. He knew a good thingwhen he saw it, and he saw great potential in Jacob. Labansaid to him, “Thou art my brother, shouldest thou thereforeserve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?”(verse 15). Jacob had already fallen in love with Rachel, sohe quickly answered, “I will serve thee seven years forRachel thy younger daughter” (verse 18). Laban had twodaughters, Leah the older and Rachel the younger. But itwas Rachel that Jacob loved. Laban thought about it andsaid it would be better to give her to Jacob than to anyoneelse, so the deal was made. What Jacob did not realize wasthat he was about to learn some valuable lessons.

III. Jacob’s Surprise (Gen. 29:20-30)

People have been known to do things for love that theywould not ordinarily do. So it was with Jacob. He servedLaban seven long years, but “they seemed unto him but a fewdays, for the love he had to her” (verse 20). Jacob did notgrumble or complain. He gladly served Laban for Rachel, histrue love. Why is it that some people complain about havingto do things at church, while others seem to enjoy everyminute of it? Could it be a difference in their love for God?

When the time was complete, Jacob said to Laban, “Giveme my wife, for my days are fulfilled” (verse 21). Laban, likeany proud father of that day, gathered everyone together andmade a marriage feast for his beautiful daughter.

The custom of the day called for the bride to be heavilyveiled. The groom would not see her face at any time duringthe feast. At evening, when the groom took his bride, he stillwould not have seen her face clearly because of the darkness.Perhaps this helps us understand why Jacob was so sur-prised when he woke up with Leah the older daughter.


Adamant for an explanation, Jacob said to Laban, “Whatis this thou hast done unto me?” (verse 25). He demanded,“Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?” (verse 25). ButLaban calmly replied, “It must not be so done in our country,to give the younger before the firstborn” (verse 26). It waslike saying, “We do not do that sort of thing around here. I donot know what you are used to where you came from, but wehave principles.”

I wonder if Laban’s words caused Jacob to have a mentalflashback. Perhaps he saw himself heavily veiled in the coatsof skins, beguiling his blind father Isaac into giving him, theyounger son, the blessing which belonged to Esau, the eldestson. Perhaps he realized he was only reaping what he hadsown.

Laban told Jacob he would also give him Rachel after hehad fulfilled the marriage week with Leah. The catch wasthat Jacob would serve him another seven years. It was anew experience for Jacob. He was the one who had alwaysbeen the trickster. He was the one who came out on top. Hewas accustomed to getting the best deal at the expense ofothers; however, the tables had turned, and Jacob tasted hisown bitter medicine.

IV. Jacob’s Sons (Gen. 29:31—30:24)

Laban had given a handmaid to both Leah and Rachel. ToLeah he gave Zilpah and to Rachel he gave Bilhah. WhenGod saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb andmade her fruitful, but Rachel was barren.

Leah named her firstborn, Reuben, saying, “Surely theLORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my hus-band will love me” (Gen. 29:32). She soon realized how wrongshe was; nevertheless, she conceived again and gave birth toa son whom she called Simeon. She said, “Because the LORD

hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me thisson also” (verse 33). At the birth of her first two sons, Leahgave credit to God, but upon the birth of her third, who wascalled Levi, she made no mention of Him. She spoke of whatshe had done, not what the Lord had done. She said, “Now


this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I haveborn him three sons” (verse 34). She corrected that attitudewhen she gave birth to her fourth son, Judah. Leah said,“Now will I praise the LORD” (verse 35). She had come torejoice in the Lord, not in her sons. Leah then ceased to bearchildren.

Rachel was envious of her sister and frustrated with herown inability to have children, so she came up with a plan tolet Jacob have a child by her handmaid, Bilhah. The resultwas Dan. Rachel said, “God hath judged me, and hath alsoheard my voice, and hath given me a son” (Gen. 30:6). Bilhahconceived again and Naphtali was born. Rachel said, “Withgreat wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I haveprevailed” (verse 8). There was no mention of God, only ofwhat Rachel had done.

Leah did not want to be outdone by her sister Rachel, soshe gave Jacob her handmaid, Zilpah. Gad was born toZilpah. Leah said, “A troop cometh” (verse 11). Zilpah’s sec-ond son was named Asher. Leah said, “Happy am I, for thedaughters will call me blessed” (verse 13). Apparently, Leahwas no longer happy with just the Lord, she wanted morechildren to make her happy. Leah then conceived herself anddelivered Jacob a fifth son, whom she named Issachar. Leahsaid, “God hath given me my hire, because I have given mymaiden to my husband” (verse 18). But I seriously doubtIssachar was God’s way of blessing Leah for giving Zilpah toJacob. Leah’s sixth son was called Zebulun. She said, “Godhath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husbanddwell with me, because I have born him six sons” (verse 20).Leah was a slow learner. If she could not win Jacob’s lovewith one son, she would not with six or sixty. Leah’s lastchild was a daughter, Dinah. The Scripture records nothingLeah said upon the birth of Dinah.

God remembered Rachel and opened her womb. She con-ceived and gave birth to Jacob’s son. Rachel said, “God hathtaken away my reproach” (verse 23). She called him Josephand said, “The LORD shall add to me another son” (verse 24).She was right, but what she did not know was that it wouldmean her life. When Benjamin was born, Rachel died in child-birth (Gen. 35:16-19).


V. Jacob’s Sheep (Gen. 30:25-43)

When Joseph was born, Jacob started getting homesick.He had been in Haran long enough. He felt the tug of thePromised Land pulling at his heartstrings. According to thepromise which God made at Beth-el, Jacob was ready to gohome (Gen. 28:15). He said to Laban, “Send me away, that Imay go unto mine own place, and to my country” (Gen.30:25). Jacob asked for his wives and children for whom hehad served well.

Laban was reluctant because he knew God had prosperedhim because of Jacob’s presence (verse 27). When Laban said,“Appoint me thy wages” (verse 28), Jacob may have beenwary of striking another deal with a man who had changedhis wages ten times; however, Jacob was himself a shrewdman. Moreover, by this time in his life, Jacob had learned todepend upon God. He made an arrangement with Labanwhich would make it clear to everyone that God, not Laban,made Jacob rich.

Jacob separated all the speckled and spotted from Laban’sflock as his hire. If any were not speckled and spotted amongthe goats or brown among the sheep, they were counted asstolen. Laban agreed, thinking he could not lose. So Jacobremoved the ringstraked and spotted he goats and all thespeckled and spotted she goats and every one that had somewhite in them and all the brown among the sheep, and Jacobgave them to his sons to shepherd. Jacob then set three day’sjourney between the two flocks, and he tended Laban’s flockhimself. When the sheep bred, Jacob used some methodswhich we do not fully understand to manipulate the outcome.As ringstraked, speckled and spotted sheep were born,Jacob’s flock increased tremendously.

God blessed Jacob in many ways, not just with sheep.Reminiscent of what was said about Abraham, the Scripturestates concerning Jacob, “And the man increased exceeding-ly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menser-vants, and camels, and asses” (Gen. 30:43).

Genesis 32:24-32

24. And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man withhim until the breaking of the day.

25. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, hetouched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thighwas out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said,I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said,Jacob.

28. And he said,Thy nameshall be called no moreJacob, but Israel: for as aprince hast thou power withGod and with men, and hastprevailed.

29. And Jacob asked him,and said,Tell me, I pray thee,thy name. And he said,

The Chosen Seed

The ReconciliationText: Genesis 31:1�33:20 Focus: Genesis 32:24-32

Sunday Devotional:Reconciled, 2 Corinthians5:18-21.

Aim: By the conclusion ofthis lesson the student willdiscuss how the reconciliationof Jacob and Esau illustrateshow brethren may be recon-ciled with each other.

Daily Devotionals

M. —Forgiveness Enjoined, Matthew 6:9-15.

T. —Be Reconciled, Matthew 5:21-26.W. —Resist Not Evil, Matthew 5:38-48.T. —Steps to Reconciliation, Matthew

18:15-19.F. —Lesson on Forgiveness, Matthew

18:21-35.S. —Overcome Evil, Romans 12:14-21.

99April 29, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

Key Verse:“And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, ifnow I have found grace in thy sight,then receive my present at my hand:for therefore I have seen thy face, asthough I had seen the face of God,and thou wast pleased with me.”

Genesis 33:10

60


Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And heblessed him there.

30. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I haveseen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

31. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, andhe halted upon his thigh.

32. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinewwhich shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto thisday: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinewthat shrank.

To reconcile means “to restore to friendship, harmony orcommunion.” Even though the various forms of the word (rec-oncile, reconciled, reconciling and reconciliation) are usedless than twenty-five times in the entire Bible, the concept ofreconciliation is seen and taught throughout Scripture.

Reconciling men to God. Our study in Genesis hasshown that man’s greatest need is to be reconciled to God.Before Adam and Eve sinned, they were in perfect fellowship,harmony and communion with God. Reconciliation was a for-eign concept to them. They were at peace with the creation,one another and with God. However, everything changedwhen they sinned by disobeying God. They realized theirnakedness, sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves andattempted to hide from God among the trees of the garden.They were suddenly in need of reconciliation.

Here is an important question. Is reconciliation with a holyand righteous God possible? Can sinful man be brought intoa place of fellowship, harmony and communion with God?The answer is yes. By means of a perfect, substitutionarysacrifice, man can be reconciled to God. This was what Adamand Eve learned when God provided the coats of skins tocover their shame. Throughout the Bible, the blood of theappropriate sacrifice has typified the shed blood of JesusChrist, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world(Lev. 8:14, 15; Heb. 2:17).

LESSON ADVANCE

62 The Chosen Seed: the Reconciliation

One of the most powerful passages on this subject is fromthe writings of Paul to the church at Corinth. He said, “Andall things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself byJesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconcili-ation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the worldunto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; andhath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now thenwe are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseechyou by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled toGod. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2Cor. 5:18-21). There is no other way for man to be reconciledto God than by faith in Jesus Christ who died on Calvary asthe supreme sacrifice for sin (Col. 1:20-22).

Reconciling men to men. Another aspect of reconcilia-tion is reconciliation between men. There was an interestingoccasion in the Old Testament when the Philistines did notwant David to fight with them against Saul, king of Israel.They were afraid David might turn against them and use itas an opportunity to be reconciled with Saul, from whom hewas estranged, so they sent him away (1 Sam. 29).

Men have been falling out with one another from thebeginning of human history. In fact, most of history is a cat-alog of conflicts among men. So why would we bother toentertain the subject? We should entertain the subject be-cause it is God’s will that we live a quiet and peaceable lifein all godliness and honesty (1 Tim. 2:2). Believers are espe-cially enjoined to be at peace among themselves (1 Thess.5:13).

If ever there were two men who needed to be reconciled, itwas Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah.They had not seen or spoken to one another in twenty years.The story of their reconciliation is spread out over severalchapters in Genesis.

LESSON ANALYSIS


I. Jacob Returned (Gen. 31:1-55)

After twenty years in Haran, Jacob no longer felt welcome.He began to long for his family. Jacob wanted to go home.

How God prepared him (Gen. 31:1-13). One way weknow it is time to leave is when the people around us nolonger want us to stay. So it was with Jacob and Laban’ssons. Jacob heard that they were accusing him of takingeverything which belonged to their father. Perhaps they feltnothing would be left for them. Laban himself was changing.His attitude toward Jacob was not the same as before. Jacobhad keen observation skills and could sense what was hap-pening. The whole situation was uncomfortable, yet it pre-pared Jacob for the voice of God. “Return unto the land of thyfathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee” (Gen.31:3). God said to Jacob, “I am the God of Beth-el, where thouanointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow untome: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return untothe land of thy kindred” (verse 13).

How Laban pursued him (Gen. 31:14-29). Even thoughGod had promised to be with Jacob and bring him back intohis homeland, he still felt the need to be the trickster. Jacobset his sons and his wives upon camels, and when the timewas right, while Laban was off shearing his sheep, Jacob“stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he toldhim not that he fled” (verse 20). As quickly as he could, Jacobcrossed the Euphrates and “set his face toward the mountGilead” (verse 21). Gilead was a mountainous region on theeast side of the Jordan River between the Sea of Galilee andthe Dead Sea.

Laban learned of Jacob’s flight on the third day. Sevendays later Laban and his men caught up with Jacob in MountGilead. Laban might have done harm to Jacob if it had notbeen for God’s protective care over the heir of the AbrahamicCovenant. God appeared to Laban in a dream and said,“Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad”(verse 24). When Laban did speak to Jacob, he said it was in


his power to do him harm but admitted that the God ofJacob’s father had spoken to him and warned him otherwise.

How Rachel plagued him (Gen. 31:30-55). Laban de-manded of Jacob, “Wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?”(Gen. 31:30). Even after twenty years of association withJacob, Laban was still an idol worshiping pagan. He mayhave been genuinely upset about losing his daughters, buthe was even more upset about losing his gods.

Surprisingly, Rachel had taken them. She was not yetcured of idolatry either. Jacob did not know what Rachel haddone, so he told Laban to search the camp and take the lifeof whoever had stolen his gods. Laban angrily entered everytent, leaving Rachel’s for last. Rachel was actually sittingupon the idols which she had hidden in the saddlebags, butshe made an excuse for not rising and thereby maintainedher secret.

After a terse exchange, Jacob and Laban made a covenantat Gilead. They took stones, made a monument and atetogether. Laban called it Jegarsahadutha (Aramaic for “theheap of witness”). Jacob called it Galeed (Hebrew for “theheap of witness”). Laban also called it Mizpah which means“watchtower or beacon.” The implication was a threatagainst Jacob mistreating Laban’s daughters and againsttaking other wives besides Leah and Rachel. “God is witnessbetwixt me and thee,” Laban said (Gen. 31:50). In light ofLaban’s love for his little idol gods, we are made to believehis use of God’s name was altogether in vain.

II. Jacob Renamed (Gen. 32:1-32)

The messengers (Gen. 32:1-8). There are two kinds ofmessengers in these verses: heavenly and earthly, the mes-sengers of God and the messengers of Jacob. First, Jacob metGod’s messengers. “And Jacob went on his way, and theangels of God met him” (Gen. 32:1). Jacob was not alone. Theangels of God were with him and he saw them. “This is God’shost” (verse 2), Jacob said. He called the place Mahanaim, adual Hebrew word which means “two hosts” or “two camps.”


The visible band was Jacob and all his group. The invisibleband was the protective angels of God.

Second, Jacob sent his messengers. While still on the eastside of Jordan at Gilead, “Jacob sent messengers before himto Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country ofEdom” (Gen. 32:3). Even though the angels of God were withhim, Jacob was still thinking of ways to help God and pavethe way for his meeting with Esau.

When the messengers returned and told Jacob that Esauwas coming to meet him with four hundred men, “Jacob wasgreatly afraid and distressed” (verse 7). Jacob, the perpetualschemer, quickly divided the people and animals into twobands. He thought that if Esau massacred one group that theother might have time to escape. It hardly seems possible,but Jacob was always planning and plotting.

The mediator (Gen. 32:9-12). Jacob assumed the role ofan intercessor and prayed earnestly to God, asking for divinehelp and protection. Jacob’s prayer was quite striking be-cause in it he reminded God of His promises (verses 9-12).This might seem a bit bold to some of us, but what couldplease God more than hearing His own Word?

The merchandise (Gen. 32:13-21). It was a long wayfrom Gilead to Edom, and Jacob planned to make good use ofit. He prepared a present or gift for Esau which was designedto break down his resistance and soften his heart. Jacobhoped to accomplish this by sending drove after drove of shegoats, he goats, ewes, rams, milch camels, kine, bulls, sheepand foals. The servants who accompanied the gifts wereinstructed to say in Jacob’s behalf, “it is a present sent untomy lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us” (verse 18).

The man (Gen. 32:22-32). As the servants started ontheir way to meet Esau, Jacob and his family remainedbehind. During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives(Leah and Rachel), his two womenservants (Zilpah andBilhah), and his eleven sons and passed over the fordJabbok. The hill country of Gilead was divided into two partsby the Jabbok River which flowed into the Jordan River.


Jacob sent all the people and all the possessions across theford while he stayed behind.

The Scripture says, “And Jacob was left alone; and therewrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day”(verse 24). For the remainder of the night, Jacob wrestledwith a man. The man was none other than the second personin the Godhead, Jesus Christ in His preincarnate form. Howlong was it before Jacob realized who He was? We do notknow, but when the man saw that He prevailed not againstJacob, He touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh and knockedhis hip out of joint. But Jacob kept wrestling.

The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaketh.” Jacobsaid, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” The manasked, “What is thy name?” He answered, “Jacob” (sup-planter, trickster, heel-catcher) (verses 26, 27). The mansaid, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: foras a prince hast thou power with God and with men, andhast prevailed” (verse 28). Israel means “prince or chief.”

Jacob realized who the man was because he named theplace Peniel, saying, “I have seen God face to face, and mylife is preserved” (verse 30). Peniel means “face of God.” Asthe sun came up, Jacob limped upon his thigh, but he leanedupon God. He would never be the same old Jacob.

III. Jacob Reconciled (Gen. 33:1-20)

The final chapter in our Text provides the account ofJacob’s fateful meeting with Esau. The two brothers werefinally reconciled after twenty long years

The meeting (Gen. 33:1-7). When Jacob saw Esau com-ing with four hundred men, he was apprehensive and divid-ed the children according to their mothers.

He put the handmaids and their children in the front,Leah and her children in the middle and Rachel and Josephin the back. Jacob’s favoritism of Rachel and Joseph was evi-dent.

Jacob went ahead of everyone and bowed himself to theground seven times as he neared Esau. He would walk a lit-


tle way and bow down, walk a little way and bow down.Jacob did this seven times until he met Esau, who ran tomeet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissedhim and wept. Jacob then introduced Esau to all the womenand children.

The meaning (Gen. 33:8-20). When Esau asked Jacobwhat he meant by all the droves which he met, Jacob said,“These are to find grace in the sight of my lord” (Gen. 33:8).Esau politely told his brother he had enough and said forJacob to keep it for himself. Jacob said, “Nay,” and urgedEsau to accept it as a token of their reconciliation. Jacobinsisted, and Esau took it. All was well.

Esau said, “Let us go,” but Jacob knew he and his familycould not keep up with Esau and his men. He did not want tolose his flocks and herds from driving them too hard, so hetold Esau to go ahead, and he would follow slowly to MountSeir. When Esau offered to leave some men behind to helphim, Jacob said it was not necessary. “So Esau returned thatday on his way unto Seir. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth,and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle” (vers-es 16, 17).

Being reconciled to one another is an important aspect ofour Christian life. Jesus said, “Therefore if thou bring thygift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brotherhath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar,and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and thencome and offer thy gift” (Matt. 5:23, 24).

If you know you have offended someone, you need to makethings right. Go to the person for a face-to-face meeting orcall on the phone if it is not possible to go in person. Say tothe person you have offended, “God has convicted me of mysin against you. I have come to ask, ‘Will you forgive me?’ ”Remain silent and wait for a response.

LESSON APPLICAT ION


Keep the following in mind: (1) Do not say, “I’m sorry,” say,“Will you forgive me?” There is a world of difference. (2) Donot say, “If I have offended you,” instead say, “God has con-victed me of my sin against you.” (3) Do not involve anyoneother than the person who has been offended by you. It isunnecessary and may even be unwise. (4) If the person doesnot immediately forgive you, be patient and wait for God towork in their heart.

Genesis 35:1-15

1. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwellthere: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared untothee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

2. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that werewith him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and beclean, and change your garments:

3. And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make therean altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress,and was with me in the way which I went.

4. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which werein their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; andJacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

5. And they journeyed:and the terror of God wasupon the cities that wereround about them, andthey did not pursue afterthe sons of Jacob.

6. So Jacob came to Luz,which is in the land of

The Chosen Seed

The ReturnText: Genesis 34:1�36:43 Focus: Genesis 35:1-15

Sunday Devotional: Re-turn To Rest, Psalm 116:3-9.

Aim: By the conclusion of thislesson the student will compareJacob’s return to Beth-el withthe return of an erring child ofGod to His service.

Daily Devotionals

M. —Edict To Return, Ezra 1:1-4.T. —Preparation for Return, Ezra 1:5-11.W. —Remnant Returns, Ezra 2:1, 64-70.T. —Pause at Ahava, Ezra 8:15-23.F. —Return to the Past, Jeremiah 6:9-16.S. —A Son Returns, Luke 15:11-24.

1100May 6, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

Key Verse:“And God said unto Jacob, Arise,go up to Beth-el, and dwell there:and make there an altar unto God,that appeared unto thee whenthou fleddest from the face of Esauthy brother.”

Genesis 35:1

69

70 The Chosen Seed: the Return

Canaan, that is, Beth-el, he and all the people that were withhim.

7. And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled fromthe face of his brother.

8. But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buriedbeneath Beth-el under an oak: and the name of it was calledAllon-bachuth.

9. And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came outof Padan-aram, and blessed him.

10. And God said unto him,Thy name is Jacob: thy name shallnot be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: andhe called his name Israel.

11. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitfuland multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee,and kings shall come out of thy loins;

12. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee Iwill give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

13. And God went up from him in the place where he talkedwith him.

14. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked withhim, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink-offering there-on, and he poured oil thereon.

15. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spakewith him, Beth-el.

What it means to be born again. The expression “bornagain” comes from the interview which Jesus had withNicodemus, the Jewish religious leader who came to Himduring the night (John 3). When Nicodemus heard Jesus sayhe must be born again, Nicodemus did not understand. Howcould a man enter his mother’s womb and be born a secondtime? But Jesus was speaking of the spiritual birth, not thephysical birth. It is the spirit of man that must be born ofGod in order for a man to enter the kingdom of God (John3:3).

LESSON ADVANCE


Natural man is dead in trespasses and sins, according toEphesians 2:1. He may be alive physically, but he is deadspiritually. However, at the moment of salvation the spirit ismade alive or regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit(Titus 3:5). Thus, salvation is referred to as the new birth orbeing born again because it is a quickening or making aliveof that which was dead.

At the moment of salvation we become a new creation inJesus Christ. The apostle Paul said, “Therefore if any manbe in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passedaway; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). Thus,the Christian life is a changed life. A Christian has a newoutlook and attitude. He has new wants and desires. He isled into paths of righteousness by the Spirit of God.

What it means to backslide. Ideally, the child of Godwill grow steadily in grace and knowledge of the Lordthroughout his Christian life (2 Peter 3:18). He will bearfruit, more fruit and much fruit for his Savior (John 15:8).The old nature will resist at times, but the Spirit will controlthe actions and attitude of the believer when he yields toHim (Rom. 6:15-22).

What happens when we yield to the old nature instead ofthe new nature? It is then that we are said to backslide. Ourspiritual progress is halted, and we begin to regress. Doesthis mean we lose our salvation? Not at all. Salvation is eter-nally secure in Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:35-39).

Think of the Christian life as a race. The starting line isour salvation experience. The race itself is our progress inspiritual maturity (2 Peter 1:5-8). We run the race until wecross the finish line at death (2 Tim. 4:7). There will be timesduring this race when we run full speed ahead. There willalso be times when we stumble and veer off course. Theremay even be times when we go backward or backslide (2Peter 1:9).

Backsliding was a favorite term of the prophets Jeremiahand Hosea. They used it to describe the sinful behavior ofIsrael, God’s chosen nation. Yet they knew there was a rem-edy for backsliding. Jeremiah said, “Return, ye backsliding


children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we comeunto thee; for thou art the LORD our God” (Jer. 3:22).

Jacob’s life illustrates backsliding as well as anyone’s life.There were times when he made steady progress in his walkwith the Lord, but there were other times when he seemed togo backward.

I. The Call To Arise (Gen. 35:1-8)

The reason for it (Genesis 35:1). God spoke to Jacob andtold him to do four things: (1) arise; (2) go up to Beth-el; (3)dwell there; (4) make an altar unto God. The reason andnecessity for this call is found in the previous chapter,Genesis 34.

Actually, the story goes back to the last few verses ofGenesis 33. After Jacob met Esau upon Jacob’s return fromtwenty years in Laban’s house, the Bible states, “And Jacobjourneyed to Succoth, and built him an house” (Gen. 33:17).Then later, Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem and“pitched his tent before the city” (verse 18). The expressionsounds much like the reference to Lot, who “pitched his tenttoward Sodom” (Gen. 13:12). Then the Scripture says Jacob“bought a parcel of a field” from the children of Hamor, “foran hundred pieces of money” (Gen. 33:19). These three thingswhen taken together cast a shadow over Jacob’s pilgrimnature.

Why did Jacob stop so soon after crossing the Jordan intothe land of Canaan? Why did he not go on down to Beth-el?Why would a pilgrim build a house? Why would he pitch histent toward the city? Why would he buy a little piece of thePromised Land for money? Even though he built an altarthere and called it El-elohe-Israel, there was something miss-ing. Jacob had stopped short. He should have gone back toBeth-el, the place where he first met God.

LESSON ANALYSIS


The tragic result of Jacob’s time in Shechem is recorded inGenesis 34. It was a low point indeed for Jacob and his entirefamily. Dinah, the daughter of Leah was at the center of it.She was swept off her feet by Shechem, the son of Hamor theHivite, a prince of the country. He “saw her, he took her, andlay with her, and defiled her” (Gen. 34:2). Jacob’s sons wereenraged at what Shechem did, but Shechem was in love withDinah and wanted her to be his wife. Shechem’s father spoketo Jacob about it and made the offer sound quite tempting,but the sons of Jacob answered deceitfully and said theycould never give their sister to the uncircumcised. Theywould, however, make marriages with them if the men ofShechem consented to be circumcised, which they did. Butthen Simeon and Levi took their swords and killed everymale in Shechem. It was such a horrendous act that Jacobsaid they had made him stink among the inhabitants of theland. He was genuinely fearful that the Canaanites wouldrally against him and destroy him for what had happened.That was when God said, “Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwellthere” (Gen. 35:1).

The response to it (Gen. 35:2-4). Upon hearing God’s callto return to Beth-el and build an altar, Jacob called upon hishousehold to put away their strange gods, to be clean and tochange their garments. Jacob had not been the spiritualleader he should have been; otherwise, there would havebeen no idolatrous images within his household. Jacob’s firststep in returning to God and to Beth-el was to clean houseand make a break with every appearance of idolatry.

Jacob had fond memories of Beth-el. It was there that Godanswered him in the day of his distress (verse 3). Likewise,many of us have fond memories. We can remember when andwhere we were saved. We remember how we felt. We remem-ber times of spiritual victory and sweet fellowship. Sin, how-ever, hinders our fellowship with God and robs us of spiritu-al power. Thus, there are many today who need to do asJacob. We need to repent of our sin, return to the place of fel-lowship and rebuild a life of devotion and dedication to God.


The result of it (Gen. 35:5-8). God helped Jacob return toBeth-el by putting a spirit of fear upon the surroundingcities. No one pursued Jacob or tried to punish him for whathappened to the men of Shechem. Likewise, God will help uswhen we truly desire to return to a place of service and sweetfellowship.

Jacob came to Luz, the ancient name of Beth-el, and therehe built an altar. He called it El-beth-el. Earlier, when he fledfrom Esau and received the vision of the ladder from Heaven,Jacob called it Beth-el, which means “the house of God.” Thistime he called it El-beth-el which means “the God of thehouse of God.” Formerly, it was the place that was empha-sized. On this occasion it was the God of the place.

A sad footnote is added at this point in the story. Deborah,Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried beneath Beth-el underan oak. Jacob called it Allon-bachuth which means “oak ofweeping.” Death is always a sad occasion, but this was espe-cially sad for Jacob because Deborah was his mother’s nurse.

II. The Covenant Affirmed (Gen. 35:9-15)

Jacob’s return to Beth-el was rewarded with an affirma-tion of the Abrahamic Covenant.

God confirmed it (verses 9-13). God appeared to Jacobagain, after he came out of Padan-aram and returned toBeth-el (verse 9). This is the way it is with God. We canalways find Him right where we left Him. People sometimescomplain that God has left them, that they do not feel closeto Him. The problem is not that God has left them, but thatthey have left God. He has promised never to leave us or for-sake us. The reason we do not feel close to God is because wehave turned from Him, not that He has turned from us. If wewill repent of our sin, put away those things that standbetween us and Him and return to the place of fellowshipand service, He will meet us with open arms and confirm Hislove to us.

God changed Jacob’s name from Jacob to Israel (verse 10).Jacob means “heel catcher, supplanter.” Jacob was quite a


character in his lifetime. He stole his brother’s birthright bytaking advantage of him in a moment of weakness. Herobbed Esau of the patriarchal blessing by deceiving hisfather. He matched wits with his father-in-law and managedto leave Padan-aram with a great fortune. Jacob was decep-tive and took chances all his life. He was a man of the world.

God’s influence began to change Jacob like He desires tochange us and make us into what He would have us to be.Jacob’s ties with the world were being severed one by one.The world no longer appealed to Jacob as it once did. Therewas a time when Jacob seemed attached to the world and thethings of the world, but those things lost their glitter. Jacobwas beginning to long for a new home, an eternal home. Hewas beginning to understand that he was just a pilgrimpassing through on the way to a better land.

God changed Jacob’s name to Israel which means “princewith God.” This was the name God gave Jacob when hewrestled with the man at the brook Jabbok (Gen. 32:24-30).Israel has been interpreted by scholars as “prince with God,”“he strives with God,” “let God rule” or “God strives.” Thename was later applied to Jacob’s descendants, who wereknown as “the twelve tribes of Israel,” “Israelites,” “the chil-dren of Israel” and “the house of Israel.”

God identified Himself as “God Almighty” and told Jacobto be fruitful and multiply. He told Jacob “a nation and acompany of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come outof thy loins” (Gen. 35:11). Jesus Christ, the King of Israel, isof the lineage of Jacob.

God also reaffirmed the promise of the land. He said, “Andthe land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will giveit, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land” (verse 12).(Compare Genesis 13:17 and Genesis 15:18.) Ultimate pos-session of the land is guaranteed by God’s promise; however,constant possession of the land was always dependent uponIsrael’s obedience to God. (Compare Deuteronomy 28:63-68.)There has never been a time in Israel’s history when it pos-sessed all the land that was promised under the Abrahamic


Covenant. This is something which will be fulfilled in theMillennium.

Jacob claimed it (verses 14, 15). Jacob believed Godand set up a pillar in the place where God talked with him.Jacob poured a drink-offering and oil upon the stone. Somesee in this a picture of Jesus Christ (the stone), the bloodwhich He shed (the drink-offering or wine), and the HolySpirit (oil). Jacob’s claim to Canaan was therefore basedupon what God did, not upon what Jacob did.

Genesis 37:2-8

2. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seven-teen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and thelad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, hisfather’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evilreport.

3. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, becausehe was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of manycolours.

4. And when his brethren saw that their father loved himmore than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speakpeaceably unto him.

5. And Joseph dreamed adream, and he told it hisbrethren: and they hatedhim yet the more.

6. And he said unto them,Hear, I pray you, this dreamwhich I have dreamed:

7. For, behold, we werebinding sheaves in the field,and, lo, my sheaf arose, and

The Chosen Seed

The ConflictText: Genesis 37:1�40:23 Focus: Genesis 37:2-8

Sunday Devotional: Prayerfor Unity, John 17:20-23.

Aim: By the conclusion of thislesson the student will explain thedevastation caused by conflict be-tween brethren.

Daily Devotionals

M. —Be Like-minded, Romans 15:1-7.T. —No Divisions, 1 Corinthians 1:9-17.W. —Be of One Mind, 2 Corinthians

13:7-11.T. —Mind the Same, Philippians 3:15-

19.F. —Good and Pleasant, Psalm 100:1-5.S. —One Body, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.

1111May 13, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

Key Verse:“And when his brethren sawthat their father loved himmore than all his brethren, theyhated him, and could not speakpeaceably unto him.”

Genesis 37:4

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78 The Chosen Seed: the Conflict

also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood roundabout, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

8. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign overus? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hatedhim yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

Conflict and contention. The Bible is replete with admo-nitions against being contentious and causing conflicts in thechurch and in the home. The two women in the church atPhilippi, Euodias and Syntyche, whose disagreementscaused problems for the church were told by the apostle Paulto be of the same mind in the Lord (Phil. 4:2). The membersof the church at Rome were told by Paul to mark them whocaused divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine theyhad learned (Rom. 16:17). The contentious church at Corinthwas told that God was not the author of confusion but ofpeace (1 Cor. 14:33).

Whether in the home or in the church, the principle is thesame. We are to be in submission one to another and “followafter the things which make for peace, and things wherewithone may edify another” (Rom. 14:19). Peter said “seek peace,and ensue it” (1 Peter 3:11). This means we will need to letother people have their way on nonessential matters; other-wise, we will have conflict and contention. You may ask,“Why do I have to be the one who always gives in?” Hopefullybecause you are the one who has the spiritual maturity andstrength to do it.

Envy and jealousy. Jealousy has caused more problemsin the church and home than anything. Churches have beendivided by it. Preachers have been ruined by it. Husbandsand wives have been separated by it. Homes have been bro-ken by it. It has caused problems in the neighborhood, in theschool and in the workplace. It is no wonder we have oftenheard jealousy called the green-eyed monster. Its grip is so

LESSON ADVANCE


strong that some seem unable or unwilling to rid themselvesof its evil influences. When a person is overcome with jeal-ousy, he will do almost anything to get what he wants.

While jealousy is a real problem, it is actually sympto-matic of deeper problems. On the surface, jealousy is theresult of feeling insecure, feeling cheated, feeling that wehave not received what we deserve, or feeling that God hasnot been as good to us as He has to others. The root problem,however, is a lack of faith in God. When we have completefaith in God, we are not jealous of what God has given oth-ers. We trust Him to give us what we need when we need it.We do not feel threatened by others. We have total confi-dence in Him. We know God is on our side. We do not feelcheated in any way because we have faith that God will pro-vide our needs according to His infinite wisdom. Total faithin God results in security, assurance, satisfaction and confi-dence, all of which are opposites of envy and jealousy.

Jacob finally made it back to Beth-el and to “the landwherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan”(Gen. 37:1). It was not, however, an altogether peaceful exis-tence. Jacob’s later days were blighted with contentions anddivisions. Moreover, it is at this point in the narrative thatJacob fades into the background, and Joseph comes to theforefront. Jacob is again at the center of attention in the finalchapters of Genesis.

I. Joseph’s Boyhood (Gen. 37:2-11)

At the age of seventeen, Joseph was tending the flock withthe sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. Joseph may have learnedsheepherding from his brothers, and he also learned some-thing about their character. When he returned home,

LESSON ANALYSIS


“Joseph brought unto his father their evil report” (verse 2).Joseph was not being a tattletale, but instead a good stewardand faithful son. There are times when it takes a lot ofcourage to tell the truth.

If Joseph had joined his brothers in their evil, perhapsthey would have been more approving and accepting of him,but his honesty and integrity caused them to despise him. Itis the same way today. When a person follows the crowd, heis often approved and accepted by the crowd; however, whenhe refuses to go along and stands up for what is right, he islikely to be scorned and despised.

“Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because hewas the son of his old age” (verse 3). He made Joseph “a coatof many colours” to reflect his choice of Joseph over the oth-ers. This “coat” was an upper coat reaching to the wrists andankles, such as noblemen and king’s daughters wore. It wasthe significance of this coat which was so important. Thisspecial coat declared Joseph to be his father’s heir. It was acoat which signified preeminence over his brethren andimplied that the patriarchal blessing would be his. Theeleven brothers certainly knew what it meant, and they werejealous. They could not speak with him in a civil tone.

Furthermore, they hated him for his dreams. Joseph toldhis brothers that he dreamed they were in the field bindingthe grain together into sheaves when his sheaf arose andstood upright, and their sheaves stood round about and madeobeisance to his sheaf. The meaning was clear to his broth-ers. They did not need an interpreter. They retorted, “Shaltthou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have domin-ion over us?” (verse 8).

Joseph also dreamed another dream and told it to hisbrothers and father. He said the sun, moon and eleven starsmade obeisance to him. His father quickly interpreted thisdream to mean that he and Joseph’s mother, as well as hiseleven brothers, would bow down to him. Jacob rebukedJoseph for the dream, but he did keep it in mind (verses 9-11).


II. Joseph Betrayed (Gen. 37:12-36)

Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers who were tend-ing the sheep in Shechem. When he got to Shechem, helearned that his brothers had moved on to Dothan. As hedrew near to them, they recognized him and began to con-spire against him.

They said, “Come now therefore, and let us slay him, andcast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hathdevoured him: and we shall see what will become of hisdreams” (verse 20). Reuben, the oldest, was not willing to goalong with the plan and offered an alternative. He suggest-ed that they not kill him but cast him into a pit in the wilder-ness. Reuben planned to rescue him later and deliver Josephto his father (verse 22).

When Joseph arrived, they stripped him and cast him intoan empty pit. As they sat down to eat, they saw a companyof Ishmeelites who had come from Gilead and were on theway to Egypt. Joseph’s brothers agreed to Judah’s idea. Hesaid, “Let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our handbe upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh” (verse 27).The jealous brothers then sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites fortwenty pieces of silver (verse 28).

The Ishmeelites took Joseph to Egypt and sold him toPotiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officers and captain of the guard(verse 36). Meanwhile, Joseph’s brothers killed a kid of thegoats, dipped the coat in the blood and brought it to theirfather, saying, “This have we found: know now whether it bethy son’s coat or no” (verse 32). Jacob knew it was. The newswas so devastating that Jacob said he would go to his gravemourning for his son.

III. Joseph Blessed (Gen. 39:1-6)

There was bitterness in Jacob’s household, due to theabsence of Joseph, but there was blessing in Potiphar’shousehold, due to the presence of Joseph. God was withJoseph and blessed him and made him prosperous (verse 2).Potiphar, the Egyptian who bought Joseph from the mer-


chantmen, saw that God was with him. Potiphar quickly rec-ognized that God made all that Joseph did to prosper in hishand. God also caused Joseph to find grace in the sight ofPotiphar, who made Joseph overseer of his house. All thetime Joseph was in Potiphar’s house, God blessed theEgyptian for Joseph’s sake. Potiphar placed everything hehad into Joseph’s care. Potiphar did not worry about any-thing. He let Joseph do all the work, and he enjoyed the fruit.

IV. Joseph Misrepresented (Gen. 39:7-23)

There was one problem in Potiphar’s house. His wife hadset her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me,” but Josephsaid, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sinagainst God?” (verse 9). Potiphar’s wife did not give up. Sherepeatedly tried to seduce Joseph. It was a test for Joseph,but he passed with flying colors. She finally caught him byhis garment, but Joseph ran out, leaving his garment in herhand. Leaving his garment behind was perhaps his only mis-take. Potiphar’s wife was stunned and scorned. She called tothe men of the house and accused Joseph of trying to forceher. Joseph’s garment was her evidence. When Potiphar re-turned, she repeated the story to him. He was understand-ably enraged, “and put him into the prison” (verse 20).

Nevertheless, the Lord was with Joseph and showed himmercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of theprison (verse 21). As it was in Potiphar’s house, the keeper ofthe prison recognized that God was with Joseph and he “com-mitted to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in theprison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it”(verse 22). The keeper of the prison had never had it so good(verse 23).

V. Joseph Befriending (Gen. 40:1-23)

After Joseph had been in the prison awhile, the pharaohsent his butler and baker to the prison because he was angrywith them. They were put in the ward where Joseph was.Both dreamed a dream but were unable to interpret it. When


Joseph saw them in the morning, he asked why they lookedso sad. They told him about their dreams.

Joseph interpreted the dream for both men. The butler’sdream was about a vine that had three branches which bud-ded and blossoms shot forth. The clusters thereof broughtforth ripe grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in the butler’s hand andhe took the grapes, pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup andgave the cup to Pharaoh. Joseph interpreted the dream tomean the butler would be restored to serve Pharaoh in threedays. Joseph also asked the butler to remember him when hecame into Pharaoh’s presence.

When the baker saw that the interpretation of the butler’sdream was good, he was anxious for Joseph to interpret hisdream. The baker dreamed there were three white basketson his head and in the uppermost basket were all manner ofbaked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of thebasket. Joseph told the baker that the three baskets werethree days, but that Pharaoh would lift up his head from offhim and hang him on a tree where the birds would eat hisflesh.

On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, every-thing came to pass as Joseph had said. The butler wasrestored and the baker was hanged. “Yet did not the chiefbutler remember Joseph, but forgat him” (verse 23).

Our lesson Text ends with Joseph in prison, forgotten andalone. However, this is not the end of the story, as you wellknow. Joseph was eventually released and made the primeminister of Egypt. All his dreams about his brothers wouldcome true.

The point to remember from today’s lesson is that weshould strive to be cooperative in our churches and in ourhomes. As Paul said, “God is not the author of confusion, butof peace” (1 Cor. 14:33).

LESSON APPLICAT ION

Genesis 45:1-8

1. Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them thatstood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out fromme.And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made him-self known unto his brethren.

2. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house ofPharaoh heard.

3. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth myfather yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for theywere troubled at his presence.

4. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, Ipray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph yourbrother, whom ye sold intoEgypt.

5. Now therefore be notgrieved, nor angry withyourselves, that ye sold mehither: for God did send mebefore you to preserve life.

6. For these two yearshath the famine been in the

The Chosen Seed

The ReunionText: Genesis 41:1�46:34 Focus: Genesis 45:1-8

Sunday Devotional: Forgive-ness, Ephesians 4:30-32.

Aim: By the conclusion of thislesson the student will discuss themeaning and method of forgivenessof those whom have wronged them.

Daily Devotionals

M. —When an Enemy Hungers, Proverbs 25:18-22.

T. —God Forgives, Psalm 103:1-8.W. —God Pardons, Psalm 25:1-18.T. —God Cleanses, Psalm 51:1-13.F. —When Offenses Come, Luke 17:1-6.S. —Fellowship, 1 John 1:1-7.

1122May 20, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

Key Verse:“And God sent me before youto preserve you a posterity inthe earth, and to save yourlives by a great deliverance.”

Genesis 45:7

84


land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neitherbe earing nor harvest.

7. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterityin the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

8. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and hehath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house,and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

The lesson Text for today’s study covers six full chapters inGenesis. These chapters continue the story of Joseph’s lifeand how God worked providentially to bring him to the placewhere he could provide for his father and family.

The emphasis of today’s lesson is on the reunion betweenJoseph and his brothers and the meaning and method of for-giveness; however, there are numerous lessons which can begleaned from Joseph’s life.

Providential care. Things happened in Joseph’s lifewhich must have been difficult to understand at the time.While he was a teenager, his brothers sold him into slaveryand led his father to believe a wild animal had mauled himto death. Can anyone imagine how Joseph must have felt asthe Ishmeelites carried him off to Egypt? Nevertheless, thatwas only the beginning. Once in Egypt Joseph was sold toPotiphar, only to be harassed by Potiphar’s wife and eventu-ally thrown into prison by Potiphar for something he did notdo. While in the prison, Joseph was able to befriend one ofPharaoh’s servants, a butler, who was later restored to servePharaoh. Joseph had interpreted a dream for him and askedhim to be sure and remember him before Pharaoh. But thebutler forgot all about Joseph. Two full years went by, andJoseph heard nothing from the butler or from Pharaoh.

Things sometimes happen in our lives which are difficultfor us to understand as well; nevertheless, we can know thatall things work together for good to them that love God

LESSON ADVANCE

86 The Chosen Seed: the Reunion

(Rom. 8:28). We can be assured that God is in control and willaccomplish His purposes through us as we yield ourselves toHim. The key for us is to be in submission to His leadershipand providence. We must maintain our integrity at all timesand serve God faithfully wherever we are and in whatevercircumstance we may find ourselves. The oft repeated adviceis that we do the best we can, where we are, with what wehave today, and God will see to it that we are where we needto be tomorrow.

Typical significance. There is nothing in the Bible whichspecifically says Joseph’s life was typical of Christ; neverthe-less, we can see several parallels between Joseph and Jesus.The study of this parallel is rewarding. (1) Both Joseph andJesus were beloved of their father. (2) Both were given pre-eminence over their brethren. (3) Both were sent unto theirbrethren. (4) Both were conspired against by their brethren.(5) Both were rejected and hated by their brethren. (6) Bothwere betrayed and sold for silver. (7) Both went down into thepit and were raised up out of the pit. (8) Both went down intoEgypt. (9) Both provided life and sustenance for theirbrethren.

Forgiveness and reunion. The title and Aim of today’slesson reminds us of the need for forgiveness. Joseph’s broth-ers did some terrible things to him, but Joseph realized Godused them to bring him into the place where he could providefor his father and family. Joseph said to his brothers, “Nowtherefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that yesold me hither: for God did send me before you to preservelife” (Gen. 45:5). Joseph held no grudges. He fully forgavethem for what they had done.

We are told in Scripture, “And be ye kind one to another,tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God forChrist’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). It is our duty toforgive. We are commanded to forgive. We are to do it forChrist’ sake because He has forgiven us.


I. Joseph’s Release (Gen. 41)

Genesis 41 describes Joseph’s release from the Egyptianprison and exaltation to the Egyptian throne. Two yearsafter he had interpreted the dream for the butler, thepharaoh dreamed a dream which none of his advisors couldinterpret. At that time the butler remembered Joseph andhow he had interpreted his own dream. The butler toldPharaoh about Joseph, and they summoned him to appear.After Joseph shaved himself and was made presentable, hecame in to meet Pharaoh.

Pharaoh told Joseph the dream, two dreams in fact, butthe interpretation was the same. Pharaoh saw seven fat andsleek cows who were eaten up by seven lean and ugly cows.He also saw seven full and good ears come up on one stalkwhich were devoured by seven withered and thin ears.Joseph explained to Pharaoh there would be seven goodyears of plenty followed by seven years of famine.

When Joseph suggested Pharaoh look for a man who wasdiscreet and wise to oversee the land of Egypt and preparefor the years of famine, Pharaoh chose Joseph. “Can we findsuch a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?”(Gen. 41:38). Pharaoh made Joseph the prime minister ofEgypt. He gave Joseph his ring, arrayed him in vestures offine linen, put a gold chain around his neck and made himride in the second chariot. Those who went before him cried,“Bow the knee” (verse 43) as Joseph approached. Josephwent from the prison to the palace and was made ruler overall the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh called Joseph Zaphnath-paaneah, which means“revealer of secret things.” He also gave Joseph a wife,Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of On. At thispoint in his life, Joseph was thirty years old. During theseven years of plenty, Joseph gathered up food and stored itin the cities of Egypt. During this seven years, he also hadtwo sons: Manasseh and Ephraim. Then the seven years offamine started, and the people of Egypt cried to Pharaoh for

LESSON ANALYSIS


bread. Pharaoh simply said, “Go unto Joseph; what he saithto you, do” (Gen. 41:55). The famine not only affected Egyptbut other lands as well.

II. Joseph’s Roughness (Gen. 42)

Back in Canaan, Jacob learned there was corn in Egyptand said to his sons, “Get you down thither, and buy for usfrom thence; that we may live, and not die” (Gen. 42:2). Tenof Joseph’s brothers made the trip. Jacob would not allowBenjamin to go, fearing something would happen to him andthereby deprive him of both his young sons. (Jacob believedJoseph was dead.)

Joseph was the one in charge of selling the grain, so it wasto him that his brothers came, “and bowed down themselvesbefore him with their faces to the earth” (verse 6). Josephsaw them and knew them, but did not make himself knownto them. Instead, he spoke roughly to them and questionedthem thoroughly. He accused them of being spies who hadcome to see the nakedness of the land. By thorough ques-tioning, Joseph learned the state of his father and his broth-er Benjamin without revealing who he was.

Joseph kept Simeon in Egypt, telling the others to returnto the house of their father and return again with theyoungest (Benjamin). By this they would prove they were notspies. Joseph spoke to them through an interpreter. They didnot realize he understood everything they said to each other.When they started talking about how they had sinnedagainst the child (Joseph) and his blood was being requiredof them, it was almost more than Joseph could stand.

The brothers returned to Jacob with the grain, and withtheir money in their sacks (unknown to them at the time).When they explained to Jacob what had happened he said,“Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, andSimeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all thesethings are against me” (Gen. 42:36). For the time being, Jacobwould not allow them to take Benjamin to Egypt (verse 38).


III. Joseph’s Restraint (Gen. 43)

But the severity of the famine gave Jacob no choice. Theyhad to return to Egypt for grain. When he told them to go,Judah reminded Jacob what the man in Egypt had said andhow he solemnly protested, “Ye shall not see my face, exceptyour brother be with you” (Gen. 43:3). Judah told his fatherthat if he would send Benjamin, they would go, but if not,they would not go. Joseph had made quite an impression onJudah.

Judah said he would be surety for Benjamin, and Jacobfinally agreed. He sent the brothers back with gifts of balm,honey, spices, myrrh and nuts. They also took double moneybecause they had discovered the original money was still intheir bags when they got home. Jacob said go, “And GodAlmighty give you mercy before the man, that he may sendaway your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved ofmy children, I am bereaved” (verse 14).

When Joseph saw Benjamin and his brethren, he orderedthe ruler of his house to prepare a meal for them and to bringthem into his house to dine at noon. It was frightening to thebrothers. They thought it was because of the money whichwas left in their sacks. They even thought they might betaken into slavery. They spoke to the ruler of the house aboutit, but he told them not to fear, that he was the one who putthe money in their sacks. He also brought Simeon out to jointhem.

When Joseph came in, they bowed themselves to him tothe earth. When Joseph asked about their father, they toldhim their father was alive and in good health. “And theybowed down their heads, and made obeisance” (verse 28).When Joseph saw Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Godbe gracious unto thee, my son” (verse 29) and he was over-come with such emotion that he left the room, entered hisown chamber and wept. After he washed his face andregained his composure, he came out and ate with them.What really surprised the brothers was how they werearranged at the table according to their ages. Benjamin was


served five times as much as the others, but they all drankand were merry with Joseph.

IV. Joseph’s Revelation (Gen. 44, 45)

When Joseph sent his brethren home for the second time,he told his servant to place his silver cup in the mouth ofBenjamin’s sack. Before they had traveled far from the city,Joseph sent his servants to overtake his brothers and accusethem of taking the cup. The brothers denied all accusationsagainst them and rashly said, “With whomsoever of thy ser-vants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be mylord’s bondmen” (Gen. 44:9). You can imagine how shockedthey were when the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. Theyrent their clothes, returned to the city and begged Joseph formercy.

When Joseph could no longer refrain himself, he senteveryone out of the room except for his brothers and thenmade himself known unto them. He wept so loud that theEgyptians and house of Pharaoh heard him. When he askedabout his father, the brothers were so shocked and frightenedthey could not answer. When all was said and done, Jacoband his entire family came to Egypt and were sustained byJoseph. Including Jacob and Joseph’s family, there were sev-enty in all (Gen. 46:26, 27). They came into the land ofGoshen and tended their flocks.

Joseph held no grudges. He had forgiven his brothers andwanted to be restored with his family. Once again he is likeJesus. While on the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgivethem; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Hisdesire was for the regeneration and restoration of Hisbrethren, yes, for the whole world.

LESSON APPLICAT ION

Genesis 49:1, 8-12

1. And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselvestogether, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in thelast days.

• • • • •8. Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand

shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shallbow down before thee.

9. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art goneup: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion;who shall rouse him up?

10. The sceptre shallnot depart from Judah,nor a lawgiver frombetween his feet, untilShiloh come; and untohim shall the gatheringof the people be.

11. Binding his foalunto the vine, and his

The Chosen Seed

The BlessingsText: Genesis 47:1�50:26 Focus: Genesis 49:1, 8-12

Sunday Devotional: Graceand Glory, Psalm 84:9-12.

Aim: By the conclusion of thislesson the student will comparethe blessings upon Jacob’s sons toGod’s blessings upon His childrentoday.

Daily Devotionals

M. —Blessing of Provision, Psalm 23:1-6.T. —Blessing of Protection, Psalm 27:1-

14.W. —Blessing of Praise, Psalm 84:1-8.T. —Blessing of the Righteous, Psalm 92:1-

15.F. —Blessing of Grace, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15.S. —Blessing of Abundance, 2 Peter 1:1-12.

1133May 27, 2001

LESSON FOCUS

Key Verse:“But as for you, ye thought evilagainst me; but God meant itunto good, to bring to pass, asit is this day, to save much peo-ple alive.”

Genesis 50:20

91

92 The Chosen Seed: the Blessings

ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine,and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

12. His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white withmilk.

Jacob was one hundred thirty years old when he came intoEgypt to be nourished by Joseph. He lived in Egypt seven-teen years and died at the age of one hundred forty-seven(Gen. 47:28). While in Egypt, God blessed Jacob and his fam-ily. “They had possessions therein, and grew, and multipliedexceedingly” (verse 27). But as Jacob sensed his approachingdeath, he made Joseph promise he would bury him inCanaan, not Egypt. Jacob was in Egypt, but Egypt was notin Jacob. He was in the world, but not of the world. He want-ed to be buried with his fathers in the land which God hadpromised (verses 29-31).

I. The Blessing upon Joseph’s Sons (Gen. 48)

When Joseph learned his father was sick, he went to hisbedside and “took with him his two sons, Manasseh andEphraim” (Gen. 48:1). When Jacob heard they were coming,he strengthened himself and set up on his bed. Jacob ex-plained how God had appeared to him, promised to multiplyhim, and give him the land of Canaan. Jacob then claimedJoseph’s sons as his own, saying, “And now thy two sons,Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in theland of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; asReuben and Simeon, they shall be mine” (verse 5). Thus,Ephraim and Manasseh are included in the tribes of Israel.

Joseph prepared his sons to receive Jacob’s blessing byplacing Manasseh, the oldest, toward Jacob’s right hand andEphraim on his left. When Jacob crossed his hands and

LESSON ADVANCE

LESSON ANALYSIS


placed his right hand upon Ephraim, instead of Manasseh,Joseph was displeased, saying, “Not so, my father: for this isthe firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head” (Gen. 48:18).But Jacob refused and said, “I know it, my son, I know it: healso shall become a people, and he also shall be great: buttruly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and hisseed shall become a multitude of nations” (verse 19).Ephraim did in fact overshadow Manasseh as well as othertribes. There were times when Ephraim was used as a des-ignation for the entire nation of Israel.

II. The Blessing upon Jacob’s Sons (Gen. 49)

When Jacob knew he was about to die, he called his sonstogether to pronounce upon them his patriarchal blessing(Gen. 49:1). This special blessing was prophetic in nature.Jacob was no longer moved by personal feelings. As hereached the end of his sojourn, he was a mature, spiritualbeliever who was guided by the Spirit of God. When he calledhis sons together, he told them what would befall them in thelast days. The blessing given to each son was more than ablessing: it was a prophecy. By discerning the character ofeach son, Jacob was able to describe clearly the position andimportance of his sons in regards to their future as a peopleand nation. He prophesied what would happen to them inthe “last days” (verse 1).

The blessing upon Reuben (Gen. 49:3, 4). Reuben wasJacob’s firstborn. Reuben must have been proud as he heardJacob describe him as his might, strength, dignity andpower; however; his spirits must have surely fallen when heheard his father say he was unstable as water and would notexcel. Reuben had committed a terrible sin when he tookBilhah, his father’s concubine. This was a sin of which henever truly repented.

The blessing upon Simeon and Levi (Gen. 49:5-7).Concerning Simeon and Levi, Jacob said, “Instruments ofcruelty are in their habitations” (verse 5). Jacob never forgotthe misery they caused him when they slew the men of


Shechem. Jacob said, “ I will divide them in Jacob, and scat-ter them in Israel” (verse 7). We can learn a lesson fromSimeon and Levi. Past behavior determines future rewards.How can we expect to stand in the court of God and receivegreat rewards when we have disobeyed and dishonored Him?

The blessing upon Judah (Gen. 49:8-12). As Jacobturned his attention to Judah, he said, “Thou art he whom thybrethren shall praise” (verse 8). Judah was not the perfectson. He had taken a pagan wife, failed as a parent and com-mitted fornication with Tamar. But Judah must have repent-ed of these sins because none of them are mentioned here byhis father. Likewise, it is good to know that our forgiven sinswill not be brought up before us at the Judgment Seat ofChrist. When God forgives our sins, He removes them as faras the east is from the west. When He forgives, He forgets.

Jacob told how Judah would be the praise of his brethrenand how his hand would be upon the neck of his enemies. Healso told how his father’s children (Judah’s brothers) wouldbow down before him. Judah demonstrated his strength ofcharacter when he proposed to sell Joseph instead of killinghim. Again, when he offered himself to his father as a pledgefor Benjamin and pleaded with Joseph on his behalf, Judahshowed his strength.

Genesis 49:9 is of special interest and importance. Thedescription of Judah as a lion reminds us of Revelation 5:5when one of the elders said, “Weep not: behold, the Lion ofthe tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to openthe book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” The lion of thetribe of Judah was none other than Jesus Christ Himself.

As the lion is the king of beasts, Judah was the lion of thetwelve tribes. The description given in verse 9 is of a lion thathas slain its prey and ascended to its lair, satisfied andsecure. “Who shall rouse him up?” (Gen. 49:9).

Genesis 49:10 is also significant. We find the promise that“the sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver frombetween his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall thegathering of the people be.” The scepter was the king’s staff.It was a symbol of his power and authority. The word Shiloh


comes from the Hebrew root word for peace. It is not a city,but a person, and that person is Jesus Christ, the Prince ofPeace. The promise was that the Messiah would come fromthe line of Judah. From Judah would come the One whowould rule the earth with a rod of iron.

Jacob finished his blessing upon Judah by describing theabundance of his possession in the Promised Land (Gen.49:11, 12). The passage is a poetic idiom which has ultimatefulfillment in the millennial kingdom. Wine and milk areseen as the most valuable productions of the land. There willbe such an abundance of these precious commodities thatJudah will wash his garments in wine and his clothes in theblood of grapes. His eyes will be red with wine and his teethmade white from the milk. Judah and the land of Israel willbe the breadbasket of the world during the Millennium.

The blessing upon Zebulun (Gen. 49:13). The blessingupon Zebulun was a short pronouncement. “Zebulun shalldwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven ofships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.” Zebulun’s inheri-tance in the land included cities like Nazareth and Cana.

The blessing upon Issachar (Gen. 49:14, 15). LikeZebulun, Issachar was one of Leah’s sons. Jacob sawstrength in Issachar, saying, “Issachar is a strong ass couch-ing down between two burdens.” But Jacob also sawIssachar under tribute. Jacob added, “And bowed his shoul-der to bear, and became a servant unto tribute” (verse 15).

The blessing upon Dan (Gen. 49:16-18). Jacob saw Danas a judge over his people. During the time of the judges, themightiest judges came from Dan. Samson was perhaps themost notable. Jacob also saw Dan as a serpent. Dan was thefirst to introduce idolatry into Israel (Judges 18:30, 31), andit was in Dan that Jeroboam set up one of his golden calves(1 Kings 12:2-30).

The blessing upon Gad (Gen. 49:19). Jacob said, “Gad,a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at thelast.” Gad chose his inheritance on the other side of Jordan.The prophet Elijah was one of the most famous men to comefrom Gad.


This lesson may be a little more difficult to apply person-ally; however, there are applications which can be made. Godblesses His children today in wonderful ways. All the bless-ings we enjoy are due to the One who loves us and gaveHimself for us. We are blessed “with all spiritual blessings inheavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).

PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE WRITER: This lesson is thelast for me as the writer of the Adult Quarterly. Writing lit-erature for the Baptist Sunday School Committee has beenone of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Wordscannot express what a blessing it has been to have had theprivilege to write various quarterlies for the last twentyyears. I want to express my appreciation to my dear wife andchildren who have given me the time and liberty to writethese lessons. My children have never known me when I didnot have to write a lesson. I also want to thank Dr. O. H.Griffith, past editor in chief, who was the first to give me theopportunity to write; Dr. Kenneth Bazar, past editor in chief,who moved me to the Adult Quarterly; and to Dr. BillJohnson, present editor in chief, and personal friend, whohas expanded and improved our literature more than anyoneI know. I should also thank the churches I have served aspastor while writing these lessons: Westlawn MBC,Texarkana, TX, Calvary MBC, Van Buren, AR, and FirstImmanuel MBC, Pine Bluff, AR. These wonderful peoplehave been gracious to share their pastor with the churches.Finally, I thank you, the reader. Some of you have writtennotes of encouragement along the way, and I assure you, itdid not go unnoticed. Thank you.

These lessons are written about a year in advance, so bythe time you read this personal note, I will have finished myfirst year of teaching at the Missionary Baptist Seminary inLittle Rock, Arkansas. Pray for me in this new endeavor. Ihave a place in my heart for young preachers, and I look for-ward to the opportunity to share and learn with them.

David Harris

LESSON APPLICAT ION

adult ss spring 01 - american baptist association · “how then shall they call on him in whom...

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