Genesis Chapter Fifteen

1. The third affirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant is given to Abraham as he starts to think through his lack of offspring (Gen. 15:1-5).
   1. God promises a son from Abraham’s own body (Gen. 15:4).
   2. God illustrates the number of descendants by using the stars of heaven for an example (Gen. 15:5).
2. Gen. 15:6 is an outstanding illustration of salvation by grace through faith. Abraham believed the Lord, and God’s Righteousness was imputed to Abraham’s account.
   1. God’s judicial imputation of Righteousness (Positional Justification) is His action on man’s behalf when man is saved from eternal condemnation in the lake of fire (Rom. 4:5,13,16,24).
   2. Experiential Justification comes about when a believer makes application of God’s Word to his life and bears fruit accordingly (Jas. 2:14-26).
3. The Abrahamic Covenant is ratified when God Himself passes between the animal sacrifices (Gen. 15:7-21).
   1. The Lord passes between the animals, but Abraham is sleeping and does not pass between them.
   2. The bondage of Israel in Egypt is prophetically revealed to Abraham, as is his own peaceful death (Gen. 15:13-16).

Genesis Chapter Sixteen

1. Sarah begins to doubt the Lord’s promises to Abraham, and finds a human solution to their childless circumstances (Gen. 16:1&2).
   1. An Egyptian maid. שִׁפְחָה מִצְרִית. שִׁפְחָה shiphchāh #8198: maid, maid-servant (Acquired in Gen. 12:16).
   2. Hagar. הָגָר hāgār #1904: flight. deriv. uncertain.
   3. The practice of “surrogate” mothering was acceptable in Nuzi law, and likely other cultures of the ancient world.
2. Abraham listened to the voice of his wife, and failed to seek the will of God (Gen. 16:2b).
3. Abraham married Hagar as a concubine/wife (Gen. 16:3). אִשָּׁה ’ishshāh #802: wife, woman. פִּלֶגֶשׁ pilegesh #6370: concubine (Gen. 25:6).
4. Hagar developed Mental Attitude Sin against Sarah after Hagar conceived (Gen. 16:4).
5. Sarah responded with Mental Attitude Sin, and Overt Sin against Hagar (Gen. 16:5,6).
6. Hagar flees from Sarah, and encounters the Lord (Gen. 16:7-14).
   1. This is the first appearance of the Angel of the Lord (Gen. 16:7,9,10,11), and yet previous encounters with the Lord may have also been appearances of the Angel of the Lord (e.g. Gen. 12:1,7).
   2. He addressed her as Hagar, Sarai’s maid (not Hagar, Abram’s wife) (Gen. 16:8).
   3. The Lord instructs the runaway slave to return and submit to unjust authority (Gen. 16:9).
   4. The Lord prophesies blessings upon Ishmael (Gen. 16:10-12).
7. Abraham fathered Ishmael at the age of 86. He will wait another 14 years before Isaac will be born.

Genesis Chapter Seventeen

1. Abraham receives the final confirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant at the age of 99 (Gen. 17:1).
   1. God reveals Himself as אֵל שַׁדַּי El Shaddai.
   2. God expects Abraham to walk before Him and be blameless.
2. God gives the name of Abraham to Abram, and renames Sarai as Sarah (Gen. 17:5,15).
   1. Abram. אַבְרָם #87: exalted father.
   2. Abraham. אַבְרָהָם #85: father of a multitude.
   3. Sarai. שָׂרַי #8297: princess.
   4. Sarah. שָׂרָה #8283: noble woman.
3. God establishes physical circumcision as the sign of the covenant between Him and Abraham (Gen. 17:9-14,23-27).
4. Abraham laughed at the promise of God and desired for Ishmael to be the Son of Promise (Gen. 17:17,18).
5. God answered Abraham’s specific request with a “no” but his heart’s desire with a “yes.” Ishmael will be blessed as a son of Abraham (Gen. 17:20,21).
6. Isaac “laughter” is a son of promise, named by God before his birth (Gen. 17:19,21). יִצְחָק #3327: he laughs.