Blessed to be a Blessing Today we will discuss God’s plan through Abraham: Gen. 12-22 Before turning to Abraham, we mention two major events: 1. The Flood and the Ark of Noah This is found in Genesis 6:5 - 9:17. 2. The Tower of Babel and the Beginning of the Nations This is found in Genesis 11:1-8.

The Flood and the Ark of Noah Let us read from Gen. 6:5-11 Gen 4. Adam and Eve had 2 sons. Kain kills Abel. But another son is born, Seth, given “in the place of Abel”. The Flood and the Ark of Noah Let us read from Gen. 6:5-11 At the creation, God saw each day that ‘it was good’, but now 5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 9 Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. A short online movie in Chinese in English

The rest of the story of Noah and the flood is summarized here Because of man’s wickedness, God brings a . . . . . . . Noah was the only . . . . . . . . . man in his time. God warns him, because he wants to . . . . . . . him and his family, as well as the animals. Noah, prior to the great flood, must build an . . . . in which God provided shelter for animals and the human race to . . . . . . . God closed the ark. Then the . . . . . . came from above and below; All drowned, but those in the . . . . . were . . . . . Noah brought a . . . . . . . . . . . . to thank God God established a . . . . . . . . . through Noah for all people. The sign of that covenant was a . . . . . . . . flood righteous save ark survive water ark saved sacrifice covenant rainbow

2. The tower of Babel and the Beginning of the Nations In Genesis 10:1-32 we see that all the people of the world are descendants of Noah and his family. The New Testament states (Acts 17:26). From one man he (God) made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live, SO THAT they would seek him and perhaps reach out to Him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. Let us read Genesis 11: 1-8 to see what the people had learned…

Genesis 11:1-8 1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

Bible view of Human condition God created all: He is transcendent; but he wants to relate to man Animals made after their own kind; sun and moon are created (not gods) Man is created in Gods image: male and female and “very good” God and man are creative. Man rules over creation, under God Man should not be alone; man and woman are given to each other for life Man fallen in sin: there is evil in the world, coming from outside (satan) There is evil inside man  a mix of good and evil God is immanent (with us): He looks for man (Where are you?) There is a promise: the evil one will be defeated by the womans offspring Man is mortal: dust to dust, and he has to work hard to get to eat For a woman: the relationship with man is difficult, and childbearing too Man is very evil: one brother kills the other; the world goes against God God is Judge (the flood) but He also saves (8 people in the ark) God has a plan with the world; man-made unity goes against it.

Watch the clip about Abraham online in English or in Chinese or (with English subtitles) through the DVD player

Blessed to be a Blessing - The calling of Abraham Abram came from Ur (Iraq) and had gone to Haran. What did God tell Abraham to do and what did God promise him? He was 75 years old then. Gen. 12:1-3 Ur Haran Read Gen. 15:1-6 Read Gen. 17:1-6

The promise repeated and… fulfilled Read Genesis 15:1-6 Why was Abraham accepted by God as a righteous man? Rom. 4:3 Then Sarah no longer believes Gods promise. She gives her slave girl to Abraham, and the slave has a child: Ishmael. (Ch. 16) Read Genesis 17:1-6, 15-16. What would you do / think after 24 years of waiting? God was faithful to His promise and Abraham and Sarah had a son. Gen. 21:1-4. “Isaak” comes from the word “to laugh” What do we learn about God from this?

Abraham offers his son - God provides a substitute. What did God ask Abraham to do with Isaac? Why? Gen. 22:1-2 What did God say to Abraham after he obeyed? Gen. 22:15-18 Discuss the parallel between Abraham’s offering of Isaac, and God’s offering of His own Son. What was the blessing that God would bring the nations through Abraham’s descendant? Galatians 3:6-9

Jesus in Genesis Satan’s head will be crushed – but at a cost for the woman’s “seed” (Jesus = … ) Abel is killed by brother Kain, but in his place comes Seth (Jesus = … ) The world is condemned, but some are saved in the ark (Jesus = … ) In Abraham’s seed all nations will be blessed (Jesus = … ) Abrahams son is sacrificed, no, his substitute (Jesus = … )