5/8/13 5/8/13

Obedience Begets Blessing

Truly, the Old Testament is living and vibrant and tied with beautiful ribbons to the New Testament. The gospel is wondrously pictured in the Old Testament and magnified through the lens of the New Testament. In today’s study, we see the third dimension of scriptures, showing that only a master designer could have put it all together.

We’re looking at God’s promise or covenant with Abraham today. At first, his name was Abram, which means exalted father. Over time, it was changed to Abraham, which means father of a multitude. In a matter of seconds, we’re going to see the progression of Abraham’s life. You’ll get the best results if you do a zigzag with your eyes. Read a scripture section in the left column, then noticed what’s right next to it in the right column.

Old Testament

Notes

Gen 12:1-3 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 that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Gen 13:14-16 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: (15) For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (16) And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

Gen 15:5-6 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. (6) And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Gen 22:15-18 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, (16) And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: (17) That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; (18) And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

The promise to Abraham was progressive. First, he had to leave his country and family. If he did and trusted God that way, God would make him a great nation…

Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

Abraham mostly obeyed God, except he took his nephew Lot with him. God did not expand his promise to Abraham until he and Lot separated. Then God promised a vast amount of land and innumerable descendents to Abraham’s seed. That seed wasn’t his son, but Christ, as we see explained in the New Testament:

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Abraham only had to believe God’s promise about the seed (Christ), which he did, and God put that faith to Abraham’s credit, making him the model of faith throughout the ages.

Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

God tested Abraham’s faith concerning that seed, for he only had one son/seed by Sarah, by whom the promise would be fulfilled, and God asked him to sacrifice that son. He obeyed.

Abraham had faith and the works of obedience to back it up. It was pure faith, and the promise of his seed was amplified. All nations of the earth would be blessed.

Gal 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.