The time of the promises to Abraham spans three generations --those of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In this lesson we look only as far as the sojourns and adventures of Abraham himself, along with his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot, and Lot’s wife. These adventures and deeds are recounted in Genesis, chapters 12 through 22.
God called Abraham, and Abraham obeyed the call. God promised that Abraham would be the father of multitudes. This was remarkable, because Abraham and Sarah were childless. Sarah was barren. But that’s not all. When Abraham and Sarah tried to remedy the situation by using Sarah’s maid as a surrogate, God gently but decisively rejected the resulting child, Ishmael. God reiterated his promise that Sarah would bear a son herself. This son would be named Isaac, and through Isaac the promises would come true. God, in order to show that his power was at work, waited until Sarah and Abraham were elderly, well beyond the years of producing children. Only then was the child conceived and born.
The New Testament, by the way, has two especially interesting chapters on Abraham: Romans 4 and Galatians 3.
The Main Point
Behind this story is the faith of Abraham. He might have found God’s promises and commands hard to believe and obey, but he believed and obeyed them nevertheless, and so was justified.
The amazing likeness
The story of Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice, is strikingly symbolic of God giving his only begotten Son as a sacrifice for the world. Isaac was a unique and special Son. Abraham loved Isaac very dearly. He believed that if he were killed, God would raise him from the dead (Heb 11:17-19). This event in Abraham’s life is therefore is a "type" or figure of the time when Abraham’s more distant son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross (Jhn 3:16).
Bible Summary (Genesis 12-22)
Call of Abram (12)
Abram misleads Pharoah about Sarah (12)
Abram and Lot separate (13)
Abram rescues Lot from Northern kings (14)
Abram pays tithes to Melchizedek (14)
Abram refuses gifts from Sodom (14)
The promises of God to Abram who believed (15)
Hagar, Sarai’s maid, runs away (16)
Hagar returns, bears Ishmael (16)
Abram and Sarai’s names are subtly changed (17)
God promises a son; Abraham laughs (17)
Abraham receives covenant of circumcision (17)
Three visitors repeat God’s promise; Sarah laughs (18)
God determines to destroy Sodom (18)
Abraham pleads for the few righteous (18)
Lot entertains angels whom Sodomites try to molest (19)
Flight from Sodom; Lot’s wife looks back (19)
Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed (19)
Lot’s daughters become pregnant to him (19)
[Hence the Ammonites and Moabites]
Abraham misleads Abimelech about Sarah (20)
Sarah bears Isaac (21)
Hagar and Ishmael cast out (21)
God provides for Hagar and Ishmael in the desert (21)
[Hence the Edomites]
Abraham and Abimelech make a pact at Beersheba (21)