Not only did God promise Abraham that in him would all the families of the earth be blessed; the Lord said that He would make of him a “great and mighty nation” (Gen: 18:18; see also Gen: 12:2, Gen: 46:3) — quite a promise to a man married to a woman past child-bearing age. Thus, when Abraham was without … Continue reading –>
“To enjoy true happiness we must travel into a very far country, and even out of ourselves.” — Thomas Browne. Look at that above quote, written in the 1600s. Do you agree or disagree? Read it in the context of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and of Revelation 3:12. Augustine wrote of the human condition: “This life of ours — if … Continue reading –>
“In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen: 28:14). “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal: 3:29). More than once the Lord said to Abraham that in his seed, his offspring, all the nations of the earth would be … Continue reading –>
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Gen: 15:1). Read Genesis 15:1-3. Think of the context in which the message was given. Why would the first thing the Lord says to Abram be “Fear not”? What would … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Gen: 15:1-3, Isa: 25:8, 1 Cor: 2:9, Rev: 22:1-5, 1 Pet: 2:9, Gen: 11:4, Gen: 12:2. Memory Text: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). A father and his ten-year-old daughter were spending their holiday at the seashore. One day they went out to enjoy a swim in the … Continue reading –>
God Always Has a Way By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission David never cared about God until he lost his business to his best friend amid a bitter court battle. All hope seemed lost. He decided to study theology at a Seventh-day Adventist college in the Philippines. David, who grew up in an affluent family, had … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Call of Abraham,” pages 125-131, in Patriarchs and Prophets; “Jew and Gentile,” pages 188-200, in The Acts of the Apostles. The rainbow is a sign of God’s covenant with Noah. Read Genesis 17:10 to discover what the sign of God’s covenant was with Abraham. Circumcision “was destined: (1) to distinguish the seed of Abraham … Continue reading –>
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him” (Gen: 18:19). As we have seen so far, the covenant is always a … Continue reading –>
Gen: 12:1-2 In those two verses the first stage of God’s covenant promise to Abram (there are three) is revealed. God approached Abram, gave him a command, and then made him a promise. The approach expresses God’s gracious election of Abram to be the first major figure of His special covenant of grace. The command involves the test of … Continue reading –>
Gen: 17:4-5 Though the names of God come with spiritual and theological significance, they do not end just with God. Names of people in the ancient Near East were not just meaningless ways of identification as often they are to us. To name a girl Mary or Susy does not make much of a difference today. For the ancient … Continue reading –>
