Lesson 19
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN [Gen. 15:1-21]. God now appears to Abram by means of a vision at night. Heathen persona received revelations by means of dreams. Genesis 20:3; 31:24; 40:5; 41:1. Persons within the chosen line whose spirituality was at 8- low ebb often received revelations by dreams. Genesis 28:12; 31:11; 35:9.
Verse six [Gen. 15:6] should be committed to memory. This chapter presents a token, a surety of the promise, just as the rainbow was a token of God's promise never again to destroy the earth with water,
CHAPTER SIXTEEN [Gen. 16:1-16]. When Abram marries Hagar, he is eighty-five years of age. The code of Hammurabi shows that it was a customary thing for a man to take a slave whom his wife had given him.
Verse Seven [Gen. 16:7]. Note well the phrase, "THE ANGEL OF THE LORD." Examine also the following references: Genesis 19:18; 22:11, 12; 24:20; 31:11; 32:24-31; 48: 15,16. Note Hagar's statement in verse thirteen, "Thou, God, seest me." The angel is therefore God. But note also that in every one of these cases where the Angel appears, He speaks of God in the third person, as though God and the Angel were two different persons. Yet, the Scripture calls the Angel God. The Angel also speaks as though He were God, e. g., verse ten. This is one of the evidences of the Trinity in the Old Testament. The Angel is God. He is the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. "No man hath seen God at any time, God's only begotten, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." It is after the giving of the covenant in Chapter fifteen that the Angel appears. The student should study most carefully all the passages in Genesis which speak of this Angel.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN [Gen. 17:1-27]. "I am Almighty God." The word which the English Version translates "Almighty God" is in the Hebrew "El Shaddai." As to the exact significance of this name, we may not be certain, but it is quite probable that the name expresses the fact that God is Almighty and All-Sufficient. God is choosing a people for His Name. He wishes Abraham to see that in Himself is the Fount of every blessing, the Source for every need. Abraham is not to resort to natural means apart from God, for God has so-called natural means in His control.
Nature serves God's purpose of redemption,
Note the use of the word "covenant" in verse four. God's plan for man's salvation here appears. Because of the sin of Adam, the human race fell into an estate of misery from which it could not extricate itself. God, in order to save sinners, here makes a covenant with mankind. It is a covenant made not only with Abraham, but also with his seed after him. The book of Galatians tells us that those who believe on Christ are the seed of Abraham. Hence, we may say that this covenant has a special reference to those who believe on Christ. God; is here calling out a people for His Name. If we would be of this people, if we would share in the blessings of this covenant, then we must have faith in Christ. This is called the covenant of grace, in distinction from the covenant of works (Lesson Six). Indeed, it is a covenant of grace, for by it God freely offers unto sinners "life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring faith in Him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained to life, His Holy Spirit, to make them able and willing to believe."
Verses Ten to Fourteen [Gen. 17:10-14]. Doubtless, circumcision was in practice long before the time of Isaac, but it now takes on the meaning of being a token of the covenant. It shows that the mere fact of physical descent from Abraham is not sufficient to make one a true Israelite. First, the uncleanness of nature must be taken away by circumcision. Especially in the New Testament does it take on an ethical and spiritual significance. Study Ro 2:25-29; 4:11; Ephesians 2:11; Colossians 2:11-13; Philippians 3:3.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN [Gen. 18:1-33]. Note in this chapter the hospitality, loyalty, magnanimity and self-sacrifice of Abraham. Note how he pleads for the inhabitants of Sodom.
CHAPTER NINETEEN, Verse Twenty-four [Gen. 19:1-38; Gen. 19:24]. Archeological researches in the Jordan valley have shown that the most prosperous period of the history of this district was about 2600—2300 B. C. From that time it began to decline. It is a definite fact that occupation ended here somewhere about 1800 B. C. or before, and this is a strong argument for the historicity of the Biblical account of the destruction of the cities. The New Testament likewise authenticates the account. Luke 17:29; II Peter 2:6; Jude 7.
Verse Twenty-six [Gen. 19:26]. The authenticity of this fact is confirmed in Luke 17:32.
Verse Twenty-seven [Gen. 19:27]. This refers to Genesis 18:22.
Verse Twenty-nine [Gen. 19:29]. Compare the "remembering" of God with Genesis 8:1.
EXERCISES
- How does God appear to Abram in chapter fifteen [Gen. 15:121]?
- Who received revelations through dreams? Give examples.
- What verse of chapter fifteen is a prophecy of the bondage in Egypt?
- Who is the Angel of the Lord? Write all that you can about Him.
- Why was circumcision given?
- Is mere physical descent enough to prove a man a true Israelite?
HYMNS FOR STUDY
No. 168: "From Greenland's Icy Mountains."
No. 421: "Lord, Thy Death And Passion Give,"