All the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because Abraham obeyed God.
Genesis 22:15-24 (NLT)
15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven.16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”
19 Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live.
20 Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor’s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. 21 The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23 (Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah, 24 Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Examine the Scriptures
In the previous lesson:
Abraham’s Faith Tested – A Test That Defies Logic – Abraham passed the test
This lesson:
All the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because Abraham obeyed God.
Genesis 22:15-24 (NLT)
15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven.16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me
“Because you have obeyed me.”
Hebrews 11:8 (NLT)
It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.
Hebrews 11:17 (NLT)
It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac,
Where did Abraham’s faith originate?
Hebrews 12:2 (NLT)
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
[a] 12:2a Or Jesus, the originator and perfecter of our faith.
- Faith obeys completely.
and have not withheld even your son, your only son,
- Faith surrenders the best to God, holding nothing back.
John 3:16 (NLT)
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 8:32 (NLT)
Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you.
“I will certainly bless you.”
Luke 11:28 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”
James 1:25 (NLT)
But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
- God blesses those who obey Him. (God blesses those who obey His Word.)
God again confirms his covenant.
I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.
Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.
Galatians 3:6 (NLT)
In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
Romans 4:3 (NLT)
3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” ….
22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
- God will count us righteous if we believe in Him.
18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed
Descendants = seed
Seed plural = us
Singular seed = Jesus
Galatians 3:16 (NLT) Quoting Genesis 12:7
God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ.
—all because you have obeyed me.”
- Application for us.
Spend time in the Word
Romans 10:17 (NLT)
So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
James 1:22 (NLT)
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
Make the right choices.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NLT)
19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Joshua 24:14-15 (NLT)
14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Make hard choices.
Luke 9:23-24 (NLT)
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Romans 12:1 (NLT)
A Living Sacrifice to God
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)
19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Let God transform you.
Romans 12:2 (NLT)
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
James 4:10 (NLT)
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
Live righteously.
Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
19 Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live.
20 Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor’s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons.
Communication existed between Beersheba and Ur.
that Milcah, his brother Nahor’s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. (Ur-Mesopotamia) 21 The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23 (Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah, 24 Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
