Review: Last week we discussed how God created a good world, but
this good world was made bad by man’s sin. This sin in the world created
hardship and pain as well as death, both physical and spiritual. Sin is huge
problem. God is holy which means he is completely separate from sin. So, our
sin creates a separation between us and God. God, however, has provided us with
a way to deal with this problem. Remember the promise that God made? He said
that the offspring of Eve would crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15).
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Question: Who was the serpent and who is the offspring? (Review Hebrews 2:14).
Key Point: God chooses to work his plan of defeating sin and death
through one family found in Genesis 11.
Overview of Genesis 4-10
Key Point: Man’s Continued Sinfulness
o
God is so grieved by the sin he sees that he
decides to destroy the whole earth, except for one family. If God would have
wiped out the entire world right here how could he have fulfilled the promise
he made in Genesis 3? But because God is faithful he does not break his
promises even though people are making sinful choices. He saves Noah and his
family, blesses them, and tells them to be fruitful and multiply just like He
told Adam and Eve.
o
It seems like the world is getting a fresh start
through Noah and his family. Will it be better this time? No. In Genesis 9 we
see that sin is still a problem in the world. Noah gets drunk and then by the
time we get to Genesis 11 we see that men are still sinning.
o
Does this remind you a bit of Adam and Eve? Eve
ate the fruit in the Garden, so she could be like God (Genesis 3:5-6). The
pattern of sin has been continued.
o
God confuses the people’s language and scatters
them. We then are given a genealogy showing us all the descendants of Shem,
Noah’s son, leading us all the way to Abram.
Overview of Genesis 12-50
·
In Genesis 12 we see something very special
happens when God speaks to Abram.
·
Read Genesis 12:1-3. Here we see God
fulfilling the promise he made in the garden. He promises to bless all people
through Abraham’s family.
·
Look at the genealogy chart. Jesus comes
from Abraham’s family. Through Jesus God fulfills his promise to Abraham to
bless all people through his family.
God’s Plan in Danger
·
So with this promises and the blessing from God,
do you think everything is going to go well for Abraham and his family?
·
When we read through the rest of Genesis we see
over and over again how Abraham’s descendants make sinful choices that seem
like they would stop God’s plan to bless the world through Abraham’s family,
yet God rescues them from these situations each time.
Examples:
o
In Genesis 12 and 20 we see how Abraham lies
about Sarah being his wife because he fears for his life and she is taken from
him. Without Sarah, Abraham would not be able to have the family that God
promised him and promised to bless us through. So, what does God do? He saves
Abraham from his sinful choice by sending plagues on the people who took Sarah
until she is returned to Abraham.
o
Later in Genesis we see that Abraham’s
descendants, Jacob and his sons, are in danger because a famine has hit the
land. God, however, worked through the sinful actions of Jacob’s sons to save
them. Joseph one of Jacob’s sons had been sold into slavery in Egypt after his
brothers had tried to kill him but God was with Joseph and helped him to rise
to power. He eventually became second only to Pharaoh and was able to give his
family food that helped them to survive.
· Why would God do this? Why
would he not just let us get what we deserve for our sinful actions?
o Reason
1: God loves us. John 3:16 says “For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes
in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
o Reason
2: God is faithful. 2 Timothy 2:13 says “if we are faithless, he remains
faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” Even when we make wrong choices, God
still keeps his promises because being faithful is a part of who God is and God
never changes (Numbers 23:19, James 1:17).
Key Point: God is always faithful even when we
are not
Vocabulary
Corruption: wrongdoing, dishonesty
Faithful: loyal, constant, and steadfast
Genealogy: a family tree, a line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor
Holy: separated, set apart
Offspring: children
Faithful: loyal, constant, and steadfast
Genealogy: a family tree, a line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor
Holy: separated, set apart
Offspring: children
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Going Deeper
Look up these promises found in God's word.
Will God ever break any of these promises? Review 2 Timothy 2:13 and look up Numbers 23:19 and James 1:17.
Reflect: Think of a time God has kept his promises to you.
Praise God in Song:
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