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Hope Sabbath School
The Roots of Abraham
In this central section of Genesis (12-22), Abraham leaves his past to follow G\od's call. As a result, Abraham always is on the move, always a migrant, which is why he also is called a “stranger” (Gen. 17:8). In his journeying, Abraham is suspended in the void—without his past, which he has lost, and without his future, which he does not see. In the New Testament, Abraham is one of the most mentioned figures from the Old Testament, and we will start to see why.
In this central section of Genesis (12-22), Abraham leaves his past to follow G\od's call. As a result, Abraham always is on the move, always a migrant, which is why he also is called a “stranger” (Gen. 17:8). In his journeying, Abraham is suspended in the void—without his past, which he has lost, and without his future, which he does not see. In the New Testament, Abraham is one of the most mentioned figures from the Old Testament, and we will start to see why.
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Hope Sabbath School
The Covenant With Abraham
The Abrahamic covenant is the second covenant, after the covenant with Noah. Like Noah’s covenant, Abraham’s covenant involves other nations, as well, for ultimately, the covenant with Abraham is part of the everlasting covenant, which is offered to all humanity.
Hope Sabbath School
Jacob the Supplanter
This section picks up on the continued family history of Isaac, the miracle child and early ancestor of the promised Seed. The story doesn’t start out particularly well, however. The flawed character of his son Jacob will be manifested in the rivalry between the two brothers over the birthright (Gen. 25:27–34) and consequently over the right to obtain the blessing of Isaac (Genesis 27).
Hope Sabbath School
Israel in Egypt
This last section of the book of Genesis takes us to the end of the patriarchal period with the deaths of Jacob and Joseph. The whole clan of Jacob is now in exile in Egypt. The last words of the book are “a coffin in Egypt.” The history of salvation seems to have no happy ending. And yet, this is the part of the book that is the most redolent of hope.
Hope Sabbath School
Jesus, the Faithful Priest
The gulf that existed between God and us was caused by sin. The problem was compounded because sin also implied the corruption of our nature. God is holy, and sin cannot exist in His presence; so, our own corrupted nature separated us from God, just as two magnets in the wrong orientation repel each other. In addition, our corrupted nature made it impossible for human beings to obey God’s law. Sin also involves misunderstanding. Human beings lost sight of the love and mercy of God and came to see Him as wrathful and demanding. This week's study will look into the amazing things the Father and the Son did to bridge that gulf.