45 - Les Feldick Bible Study Lesson 3 - Part 1 - Book 4 - Sodom and Gomorrah

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com LESSON 3 * PART 1 * BOOK 4 SODOM AND GOMORRAH Genesis 16-20 Genesis 16-20 For years, God has been promising Abraham and Sarah they would be the progenitors of a nation of people. We've learned previously, that without any instruction from God, Sarai reverts to the custom of their day. Verse 2: Genesis 16:2 "And Sarai said unto Abram, `Behold now, the Lord (Jehovah) hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her.' And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai." Genesis 16:5-7 Hagar leaves. Now verse 7 again. I think it is a basic statement that there is only One Redeemer in Scripture - God the Son; not some angel; not anyone but God the Son. Genesis 16:8 "And he said, `Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? God doesn't have to ask questions to get information. Genesis 16:9 "And the angel of the Lord said unto her (now this is God speaking, `Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.'" There was a particular sovereign, omnipotent reason for God to have Hagar go back to the home of Abram and Sarai. Remember it is the Sovereign God Himself who is speaking. Genesis 16:10,11 Here is one of those instances when God calls the shots before the child is even born. Verse 12. God already foretold the very personality makeup of the Arab people before the first one was ever born. Genesis 16:12 Genesis 16:13-16 Then time elapses between verses 14 and 15, and Ishmael is born. "And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his sons name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael." Abram, in complete obedience with God's instructions to Hagar, called the lad Ishmael. "And Abram was fourscore and six (eighty-six) years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram." Genesis 17:1 Genesis 17:2 "And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly." God states He will multiply him exceedingly. This word translated is `The Almighty God,' or `The God of Fruitfulness.' Genesis 17:3a "And Abram fell on his face:..." Genesis 17:3b-5 "...and God talked with him, saying, `As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee (Abram), and thou shalt be a father of many nations.'" Verse 5: "Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee." In verse 15 you'll see God does the same thing with Sarai's name. I've been cautious in pronouncing the names Abram and Sarai anticipating of these two verses. Genesis 17:15 "And God said unto Abraham, `As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.'" The number five will continue to come up in Scripture, designating God's grace. So Abraham becomes the letter `H' and Sarah becomes the letter `H' referring to the tremendous grace of God which will be part and parcel of their lives. Genesis 17:6,7 The word seed in the Hebrew is the word "zera." Whenever the context refers to a vast number of people who are Abraham's seed, we are not talking about Christ, but about the generations of Israel. Genesis 21:12 "And God said unto Abraham, `Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac (one person) shall thy seed (singular) be called.'" Turn to Galatians, Chapter 3. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. Genesis 17:8 "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed (plural) after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Genesis 17:9,10 "And God said unto Abraham, `Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations (again we are talking about the line of people). God now has a blood Covenant with the Nation of Israel, or the children of Abraham. God comes back and promises again that He will bless her. Genesis 17:15-17 "And God said unto Abraham, `As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. Genesis 17:18 "And Abraham said unto God, `O that Ishmael might live before thee !'" Abraham is pleading for the life of Ishmael when he says, Oh let Ishmael live! God replies: Genesis 17:19 "And God said, `Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.'" If you haven't done so before, underline now that part where God says He is going to establish His Covenant with Isaac, the child He promised Abraham. Genesis 17:20 Exactly as God said he would. Genesis 17:21 "But my covenant will I establish with Isaac (named before he was born), which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year." Never lose sight of these two tremendous verses, wherein God stated: (1) I will establish My Covenant with Isaac. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible