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Welcome and thank you again for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word. This week's question:
Noah and his family spend one year and 17 days in the ark before setting their feet on dry land (Genesis 8:16). About 292 years after the flood, a son is born to Terah of the lineage of Shem whose name is Abram. In Genesis 12:1-3 at the age of 75, Abram is told by God to leave the country, his relatives, his fathers house and reminded him that his descendants would be as the stars above him (Genesis 15:4-6). And Abram believed God and it was 'reckoned to him as righteousness'.
And so he, his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot heeded God's word and packed their bags and traveled-not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8-10). After a journey to Egypt that included plagues upon Pharaoh and his house (Genesis 12:14-20) and finally settling down in the land of Canaan, the land of promise-for he looked for a city whose builder was God. Lot, meanwhile, moved on to the plains of the Jordan, but that's another story!
In Genesis chapter 17 we find an elderly Abram of 100 years-now named Abraham and Sarai at 90 years-now called Sarah-both renamed by God, and Abraham is again reminded by God of the promise of a son, in verse 21: 'But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, when Sarah will bear you at this season next year'. This covenant marked by circumcision of the flesh to each following son at 8 days from birth. In Genesis 17:7 this everlasting covenant is to be fulfilled through his 'seed' so that 'all nations would be blessed'(Genesis 18:18.)
So, to Galatians 3:6-18 we go to fully understand the fulfillment of this blessing and the final answer to our question. The promises to Abraham: His son, the many descendants as the stars of the sky, and his 'seed', that is, fully explained in verse 16- "now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed, He does not say 'and to seeds' as referring to many, but rather to one, 'and to your seed,' that is Christ."
So, from Abraham and through his son, Isaac, does the lineage travel to its perfect end with the fulfillment of prophecy in the birth of the Messiah, 'Immanuel', that is, God with us, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. And so you have it!
Thank you again for taking of your time to test your knowledge of God's word. Please tell a friend. This is Bible Break and have a good week.