Abraham's Covenant

Open the Bible Question Form to send your own question.

Printable Version

Introduction: God’s covenant with Abraham shows us how God establishes a relationship with man. As with the Jewish people, God will always keep His promises with man. This is why we are eternally secure in our salvation.

I.           ABRAHAM BELIEVED IN OF GOD (Genesis 15:1-6) 

A.    God Appears to Abram (v.1)

1.    I am thy shield

2.    I am thy exceeding great reward 

B.    Abram Reminds God of the Promised

Seed (v.2-3) 

C.    God Renews His Promise (v.4-5) 

1.    Of a son (v.4)

2.    Of a seed as the stars of heaven (v.5) 

D.    Abram Believes in the Lord (v.6) 

1.    He believes in the promise of God

2.    God counts his faith for righteousness 

II.          GOD ESTABLISHES HIS COVENANT (Genesis 16:7-21) 

A.    Abram Asks for Evidence of the Promise (v.7-8) 

B.    God Requires a Sacrifice to be Made (v.9-11) 

1.    An heifer, a she goat, a ram, a turtledove and a pigeon (v.9)

2.    To be divided with a walkway between them (v.10)

3.    NOTE: This type of covenant, where two parties walk between a divided sacrifice, is referred to in Jeremiah 34:18-19. The difference here is that God passed between the pieces by Himself without Abram. This indicates that this was an unconditional covenant. God would fulfill it, no matter how unfaithful Abram and his seed might be.

4.    Abram drove the birds away from the sacrifice (v.11) 

C.    God Makes His Covenant With Abram (v.12-17) 

1.    Abram goes into a deep sleep (v.12)

2.    God speaks unto Abram (v.13-16)

a.    About the sojourn of his seed in a strange land (v.13-14)

b.    About the death of Abram in a good old age (v.15)

c.    About the return of Abram’s seed to this land (v.16)

(1)   In the fourth generation

(2)   When the iniquity of the Amorites is full

3.    God passes between the pieces of the sacrifice (v.17)

a.    As a smoking furnace

b.    As a burning lamp 

D.    God’s Covenant Describes Abram’s Inheritance (v.18-21) 

1.    The promise of the land (v.18)

a.    From the River of Egypt

b.    To the Euphrates River

    2.  The nations to be conquered (v.19-21) 

III.         ABRAHAM BEARS A SON OF WORKS (Genesis 16:1-16) 

A.    Sarai Gives Hagar to be Abram’s Wife (v.1-3) 

B.    Hagar is Hated of Sarai When She Conceives (v.4-7) 

1.    Hagar despises Sarai because of the conception (v.4-5)

2.    Abram turns Hagar over to Sarai (v.5-6)

3.    Hagar flees from Sarai to the wilderness (v.6-7) 

C.    The Angel of the Lord Appears to Hagar (v.8-14) 

1.    He commands her to return to Sarai (v.8-9)

2.    He promises her that a great people will come of her son (v.10-12)

a.    Her seed will multiply (v.10)

b.    Her son’s name will be Ishmael (v.11; meaning God shall hear)

c.    Her son will be a wild man (v.12)

3.    She call the name of the Lord, Thou God seest me (v.13-14) 

D.    A Son is Born to Hagar (v.15-16) 

1.    His name is Ishmael (v.15)

2.    Abram is 86 years old (.v16) 

IV.        GOD RENEWS HIS COVENANT (Genesis 17:1-8) 

A.    God Appears to Abram (v.1-2) 

1.    When Abram is 99 years old (v.1)

2.    He introduces Himself as the “Almighty God” (v.1)

3.    He commands Abram (v.1)

a.    To walk before Him

b.    To be perfect

4.    He renews His promises (v.2)

a.    To keep His covenant

b.    To multiply Abram 

B.    God Changes Abram’s Name (v.3-5) 

1.    From Abram (meaning exalted father)

2.    To Abraham (meaning father of many nations) 

C.    God Restates His Promises to Abraham (v.6-8) 

1.    An everlasting covenant (v.6-7)

2.    An everlasting possession (v.8) 

V.         THE TOKEN OF THE COVENANT (Genesis 17:9-27) 

A.    All Men to be Circumcised the Eighth Day (v.9-14) 

B.    God’s Blessing on Sarai (v.15-22) 

1.    Her name changed to Sarah (v.15)

2.    Sarah to bear a son (v.16-19)

3.    God’s blessing on Ishmael (v.20)

4.    But the covenant to be through Isaac (v.21-22) 

C.  Abraham and Ishmael Obey the Lord (v.23-27) 

Conclusion: Have you believed in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ so that God can count it for righteousness (see 2Corinthians 5:18-21)?

MEMORY VERSES:

1. Genesis 15:6
2. Genesis 15:1
3. Romans 4:20-21