2025 Bible Study Group

Genesis 17

God christens Abram as Abraham. It was God's plan that through Abraham, Christ would come and all the nations of the world would believe in Him, this is what it means for Abraham to become a father of many nations.

Circumcision is given as a sign of the covenant. To become a Jew, you had to be circumcised. There is a physical and spiritual side to the Abrahamic Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant both relate to the Abrahamic Covenant.

Paul's argument in Romans 4 is that Christians enjoy the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant, in the New Covenant, through faith alone, citing the fact that Abraham was justified before he was circumcised through faith alone, thus circumcision is not necessary for Christians to enjoy the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant.

For the Jews, one could not be a part of the Mosaic Covenant unless one was circumcised, thus one could not be a son of a Abraham and enjoy the benefits of the Abrahamic Covenant unless they were circumcised. Circumcision was necessary. It's easy to see why the Judaizers would find so many followers in the Apostolic Church.

God also christens Sarai as Sarah and says she will be a mother of nations. Paul in Galatians 4 says that Christians are born of the free woman, Sarah. She is the matriarch of those who believe, just as Abraham is the patriarch of those who believe.
 
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Here's a couple of things I missed that I wanted to share with you guys:

Genesis 11

We've covered the Tower of Babel but I wanted to plug in what Deuteronomy has to say about it.

Deuteronomy 32:8 When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, When He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the sons of God. 9 For Yahweh’s portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.

When God dispersed the peoples from Babel, He gave the nations over to the angels, who abused them. The nations then worshiped the angels as gods, not knowing that they are nothing but demons. As Babel is an echo of the Fall, so too is this punishment. Satan says that the world was "given" to him when he tempts Christ. It was given to him because Adam did not exercise his dominion according to God, but rather obeyed the devil. All of the world is going to hell, but God has preserved His own people through His righteous King, who unlike Adam, "always does the things that please God."

Genesis 12

5So Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go forth to the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.

A more literal translation would say: "and the souls he had created in Haran."

Abraham is identified as a soul-maker, but what does this mean? It means that Abraham was the first Evangelist. There is a likening of converting someone and creation. A connection between redemption and creation. People are dead, empty, they are not truly alive until they come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. The only way to truly be alive is to be in Jesus Christ.

Paul picks up on this in Romans 4:
16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be according to grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the seed, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all— 17as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”—in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

There is a reason the world has identified the monotheistic religions as the Abrahamic religions. Abraham preached that there is only one true God, only one true way, only one true life, even Jesus Christ.
 
Genesis 18

God and His two angels visit Abraham under the Oaks of Mamre, where Abraham would pitch his tent, where he would tabernacle. Abraham welcomes Yahweh as a most-honored guest, he hurriedly prepares a great meal for Him and washes His feet. Abraham goes above and beyond in His worship of God, and it is fitting, for God goes above and beyond in His service to Abraham. As sons of Abraham according to the faith, our disposition and worship of God ought to look like this, and when His Spirit works in us, it does look like this.

In John 8, Jesus says that Abraham lived to His day, he saw it, and was glad. In response, the Jews tried to stone Him because they knew He was claiming to be God, because God did indeed visit Abraham.

John 13:6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterwards.” 8Peter said to Him, “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Just as Abraham washes God's feet, Jesus washes Peter's feet. God's sons give all to God and God gives all to His sons. The relationship is complete and the New Covenant is unbreakable.

God tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son in a year's time. In unbelief, she laughs at God's word, not knowing that God can hear her. When God calls Sarah out and replies that nothing is too difficult for Him, Sarah, in fear, tries to justify herself with a lie: "I did not laugh." But God confirms that she did. Abraham had laughed at the same word a chapter earlier, and so God tells Abraham that he will name his son Issac, which means laughter.

All humor is rooted in irony and this story is packed with much irony. Based on Abraham and Sarah's age, for God to say that they will have a son comes across as ridiculous. As ridiculous as Noah warning people in the middle of the desert that God will flood the world. As ridiculous as us saying that a Jewish preacher who was crucified 2,000 years ago is the answer to all of the world's problems. In a world full of liars, the one telling the truth is the clown. But Paul was content with being a clown, a "fool for Christ."
 
Genesis 17:

Found this part a bit odd:
'Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”'

Is this cannon or have ideas about circumcision changed over time?

Genesis 18:

This passage appeared significant:

'
13And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.'

I don't know what to read into it except that God can make even the ridiculous possible.

'And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”'

What's this? Is God going down to check out S and G? This seems very human like God needs to do some detective work.

And finally this part:

"32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”

33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.'

This is one of the more memorable parts of the Bibiel. What about for 1? What if only 1?


Also this iteration of God is particularly unforgiving. Would these sinners destroyed by God be in hell for ever? Shouldn't everyone get a shot at repentence? Does God continue to eliminate people who don't meet his standards like a mob boss.?

My only way of dealing with questions I cannot answer is to try to have faith that God is not operating on a plane of morality I can understand with my human mind. So while taking out a city of sinners appears an over reaction I suppose it's not for me to judge.

Anyway my interpretation of this part of the Bible is that even a few good eggs can have large impact and 'save' a place. I take it that way rather than as a literal thing. Perhaps I'm wrong in that.
 
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