God And His Word - A Question And Answer Approach To Understanding The Bible

LESSON 5: THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT (ABRAHAM AND CIRCUMCISION) 1. WHY IS ABRAHAM SUCH AN IMPORTANT FIGURE IN BIBLE HISTORY? Abraham is the man that God chose to produce the nation that would in turn produce the Christ. 2. DID ABRAHAM HAVE MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT TO BELIEVE IN GOD? No. Abraham's own father was an idolator (Joshua 24:2). His countrymen were idolators. Ur was in Babylonia, where there were all types of idolatrous worship. 3. HOW DID ABRAHAM COME TO KNOW THE TRUE GOD? No doubt, by Divine revelation. Genesis 12:1; Acts 7:3; Hebrews 11:8. Also, since Noah's life extended to the birth of Abraham, it is possible that Abraham could have heard about the flood from Shem (Noah's son), and also Methuselah's account of Adam and Eve in Eden! 4. WHAT WAS THE CHIEF CHARACTERISTIC OF ABRAHAM? Abraham was a man of faith. Romans 4:20, 21; Hebrews 11:8-19. This means that Abraham believed that God would do what He said He would do. He learned to put his confidence in what God said. 5. WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT? The Abrahamic Covenant was progressively revealed to Abraham, rather than given all at once. Genesis 12 through 22. 6. HOW MANY TIMES DID GOD SPEAK WITH ABRAHAM? According to the record, God came to Abraham SEVEN times. Genesis 12:1, 7; 13:14; 15:1; 17: l; 18:1; 22. 7. IN SIMPLEST TERMS, WHAT DOES THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT INVOLVE? On pages 113, 114 you will find fourteen great promises of the Abrahamic Covenant that were progressively revealed; but in simplest terms, this Covenant involved: [1] The Promised Land, [2] The Promised People, [3] The Promised Seed, [4] The Promised Blessing for all nations.

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