E100-07

 

God's Covenant With Abram

Genesis 15

Kevin's Commentary

You are encouraged to go through steps or process scripture in these steps:

• Pray = in anticipation of what God wants you to discover. Thank God for his many promises to you and that you can count on him to keep them all.
• Read = Genesis 15:1-21 with purpose look for what God is trying to communicate. You may want to read out of several translations and highlight key words.
• Reflect = on the context and put yourself in the shoes of people at that time. Because Abram was childless, it seemed impossible for God to keep his promise. What obstacles seem to prevent God from keeping his promises to you?
•     God is ... What do we learn about God?
•     We are ... What do we learn about people?
• Apply = information without application is fruitless. Decide on some practical steps you can take for fulfill what God wants you to do. Today, write down God’s most special promises to you and then read that list a few times throughout the day. Remind yourself that God keeps his promises.
• Pray = yielding to God to empower you to do what the word convicted you to do. Lord, I know that whatever circumstances may say, You can be relied on. Help me to always trust that.

For deeper Bible study and more resources go to my Commentary Blog notes.

For other parts of the Essential 100 Scripture Series, click on the link with the topic #E100.

#Promises

#Covenant

Abram a man of faith

Abram was far from perfect. There were times when he trusted the Egyptians before he trusted God. He even lied, telling Pharaoh that his wife was his sister. But Abram made one decision that changed his eternal life: He “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3).

Here is a man justified by faith before his circumcision (see Romans 4:10), before the law (see Romans 4:13), before Moses and the Ten Commandments. Here is a man justified by faith before the cross! The sin-covering blood of Calvary extends as far into the past as it does into the future.

Abram is not the only Old Testament hero to cast himself upon God’s grace. We must not see grace as a provision made after the law had failed. Grace was offered before the law was revealed. Indeed, grace was offered before man was created! “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake” (1 Peter 1:18–20).