Genesis 12 God's Promises

Genesis 12 Abram – God’s Promises
Listing of genealogy from Shem to Abram.
Read Genesis 12:1-9
Beginning in chapter 12, God promises Abram several things:
Go forth to the land I will show you. (No If).
• I will make you a great nation. Israel.
• I will bless you. “face to face”, Multiple promises, a son, wealth, the line of Jesus
• I will make your name great. – It’s great.
• You shall be a blessing. - His faith is still a blessing.
• I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you, I will curse.
• In you all the families of the earth will be blessed. – Jesus – Of course.

V7 – I will give this land to your descendents. (Canaan)

God kept His promises to Abram.

Promises in the Bible
God will keep all his promises
Psalm 89:34 My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.

Some promises are to us (believers, followers of Christ)
James 1:5, NIV. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Some promises are made to individuals in the Bible
Abram

Some Promises are positive, some are negative.
Genesis 3:14-19 – God promised to curse the serpent, the woman, and Adam.

Promises must be understood in the context in which they are presented
Jeremiah 30:17- For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'Because they have called you an outcast, saying: "It is Zion; no one cares for her."'

This verse is presented in the context of delivering Israel and Judah from captivity. Their “sickness” or lack of health is presented figuratively and their deliverance is described as a restoration to health. Picking out promises without understanding the context is dangerous.

Some promises reveal something about God’s character
Numbers 14:17 18'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.'

Some promises are for the future
Revelation 21:4, NIV. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Genesis 11 Babel

What is the most widely recognized brand on earth?

10 most popular facebook pages
1 Coka-cola
2 Starbucks
3 Oreo
4 Disney
5 Skittles
6 Red Bull
7 Converse All start
8 Victoria’s Secret
9 Converse – like #7
10 Pringles

Today we are going to talk about some People who wanted to make a name for themselves. They wanted fame – a reputation for greatness.

Gen 11:1-9
What was wrong with building a tower that will reach to heaven?
What kind of reputation were they seeking?
What were they worried about? – How did God punish them?

How important is your reputation?
How closely does your reputation actually match your character?
Is your reputation different among family, friends, church, work, community? Why?

What Counts

Samuel is seeking a King to replace Saul
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

David’s prayer (Nathan just told him he would not build the temple)
2 Samuel 7:20 “What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign LORD.

God knows our heart. Our “reputation” with Him matters more than anything others may think about us.

Genesis 6 - Obedience in the Midst of a Flood

Obedience to God
Genesis 6:5-22 Key Verse 22, Noah did what God told him to do.

What do these verses say about Noah’s character? V9 – He was righteous, blameless in his time, and he walked with God.
What motivated Noah to obey God?
Was it the threat of the flood? His desire to please God? His faith?
What about the level of detail in this command?
How would you like that level of detail? Every day?

Genesis 7:1-16 The flood. V5 Noah did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.
V16- Is this a theophany?
Genesis 7:21-24 The consequences. Every living thing died.

What can we learn about God by reading this story?
God is a God of both judgment and grace.
Can what was said of Noah in V5 be said of you?

Do you think obedience was easy for Noah in this situation?
What were his challenges in obeying God?
What challenges do we face in obeying God?
How can we overcome these challenges?


Genesis 8:14-21 The fruit of obedience
What promises does God make in these verses?
What conditions must be met for God to fulfill these promises? None.
God’s Promises
I will never again curse the ground on account of man
I will never again destroy every living thing as I have done.
Seasons will come and go as long as the earth remains.


Noah’s obedience resulted in 950 years of life and a relationship with God like no one else.
He experienced deliverance in a way that most of us can barely imagine.

What is the result of obedience in our lives?

Genesis 4 Cain’s offering

Offerings given wrongly.
Genesis 4:1-7 Cain and Abel born. Both gave offerings. Jealousy ensued. Cain killed Abel.
What was wrong with Cain’s offering?
How did his offering to God affect his relationship to God?
Why is God concerned about offerings?

Leviticus 10:1-3 Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire. Burnt up.
Why was Nadab and Abihu’s punishment so severe?
Was the priest’s offering any different than anyone else’s offering?

Acts 5:1-11 Ananias and Sapphira. Lied about the price of the land. Died.
Where did Annanias and Sapphira go wrong?
Does this lesson mean that God wants us to all give 100% of everything to Him?
Were they seeking recognition from men at a discount?
How important is integrity in the body of Christ?

How to Give rightly.

What do these scriptures tell us about our offering to the Lord?

2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 Give Cheerfully
2 Corinthians 8: 1-5 Give according to one’s ability
Acts 17: 24-25 Give not because God needs it
1 Chronicles 29:6-9 Give willingly