SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 3 ,JANUARY 17, TOPIC - ABRAHAM’S GREAT TEST

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 3 ,JANUARY 10, TOPIC -  ABRAHAM’S GREAT TEST 

Memory Verse: James 2:23 

Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness  and he was called the friend of god (KJV). 

GENESIS 17 V 15 -17, 21 V 1-8 ,22 V 1-18

HEBREWS 11V17-19

Central Truth Obedience to God demands great faith. 

The lesson outline 

1. Isaac’s Miraculous birth 

A. New name; new reality 

B. The promised son born 

2. The lord provides a sacrifice 

A. God tests Abraham 

B. God spares Isaac 

3. Abraham’s faith rewarded 

A. Abraham blessed by god 

B. Abraham’s faith celebrated 

Teaching goals 

1. Impart and reinforce knowledge: inform students of the biblical  account regarding the ultimate test of Abraham’s loyalty to God, and  the outcome of that test. 

2. Influence attitudes: help students appreciate that God demands our  loyalty, and that loyalty for God is best for our lives. 

3. Influence behaviour: encourage students to give God first place in  their lives, and to remain loyal to him above all else, through all times  and circumstances. 

Introducing the lesson 

Write on the marker board: “testing and temptation: in what ways do  they differ, and in what ways are they related?” explain that testing and  temptation are not the same, but are related because when our faith is  tested, we must resist temptations to disbelieve or disobey God. We  must remain faithful. This is illustrated in Abraham’s great test. In the  course of this lesson, consider what temptations Abraham had to  overcome when his faith in God was tested. 

Commentary and Application 

1. Isaac’s miraculous birth  

A. New name: new reality 

The name Sarai means “princess” in the language of Sarah’s parents.  In Bible times, giving a person a new name often meant a new  beginning. When God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah (which also  means princess), this meant for her a new beginning with a new reality.

She was named a princess by God, who also enabled her to give birth to  Isaac, to become through this one son a mother of nations and kings. Abraham and Sarah had waited nearly a quarter century for the “son of  promise” to be born. When god said Isaac would be born within the year,  Abraham laughed (though this does not necessarily imply disbelief),  even as he fell down in worship before the Lord. 

Questions for Application 

In what sense might a person say that God gives to9 each of us a new  name when he saves us by his grace and calls us to follow Christ?  Explain. 

Abraham laughed at the notion of having a on at their old age, even as  he expressed worship to God. What can this teach us about times when  we struggle in our faith? 

B. The promised son born 

From the time Abraham and Sarah entered Canaan, until the birth of  Isaac, twenty-five years passed. All this time, while the opportunity for  Abraham and Sarah to have a son seemed to have run out, they waited  on God-sometimes expressing struggle in holding complete confidence it  would happen. But the time came and Isaac was born. There could be  no doubt that Isaac was a gift of God to Abraham and Sarah. 

In obedience to God, Abraham named this son Isaac, meaning  “laughter”, for God had brought Sarah laugher of joy even as others  would laugh at the notion that a woman of her age would have a child. 

In obedience to God, Abraham circumcised Isaac on the eighth day  after his birth. A year earlier, in obedience to the command of God,  Abraham, Ishmael, and all the males in Abraham’s household had been 

circumcised. This ritual would become the sign of god’s covenant with  Abraham for all generations. It would apply to all male descendants who  would come. 

According to the custom of the time, Isaac was likely weaned at three  years of age, at which point he would be given to his father for training  and instruction. Because in bible times so many children died in the first  years of life, the weaning of a child was an occasion for great  celebration. So Abraham prep0ared a great feast the day Isaac was  weaned. The future promised to Abraham by God rested on the survival  of Isaac. 

Questions for application  

Abraham was seventy five year of age and Sarah was sixty five when  they enter Canaan already past the age for childbearing .why does you  think God had them wait another twenty-five year for the birth of Isaac? 

What are some of the ways Christians the celebrate the blessing of God  today why is it important that we have such celebration? 

Response to the word  

Genesis 21:1 use a word translate visited [KJV] or gracious [NIV] with  reference to god miraculous blessing on Sarah this term as used in  scripture often highlight God attentive care and concern it is the  reminder that the blessing of the child came only through divined 

intervention what are some example of this in your life how can you  demonstrate your gratitude to God for his attention care and concern on your behalf? 

2. The lord provides a sacrifice 

A. God test Abraham 

Genesis 22:1-19 records a test of Abraham that came after many  other tests had proven Abraham to be a man of faith in God. Yet this  command must have horrified Abraham. Sacrificing humans was  contrary to everything Abraham knew about God. Yet God commanded  him to sacrifice his only son-the only one through whom all the promises  God had made to him could be fulfilled. 

The lord directed Abraham to go to a certain mountain he would show  him, and there he was to sacrifice Isaac. The land of Mariah was the  mountainous region around Jerusalem. It is believed that the mountain  to which Abraham was to go was that on which Solomon built the  temple. Today Muslim shrine called the dome of the rock stands on what  is believed to be this site. 

Without a question or word of protest, Abraham obeyed god. He rose  up early the morning, prepared a donkey for the journey to moriah,  enlisted two young male servants to carry supplies and accompany him  and Isaac on the journey. He also cut the wood for the burnt offering.  On the third day of their journey, the mountain where Isaac was to be  sacrificed came into view. Abraham commanded the two servants to  stay with the donkey while he and lsaac continued on to the mountain. 

With Isaac carrying the wood for the fire, and Abraham holding a  burning torch in one hand and a knife in the other, it took a while to cover the remaining distance to the top of the mountain. As they walked,  Isaac asked an obvious question: where is the lamb for the burnt  offering? Still reluctant to tell Isaac the nature of their journey, Abraham  simply assured him that God would provide. 

Arriving at the place of sacrifice, Abraham built an altar of stone,  laid the wood on the altar, bound lsaac, and laid him on the wood on the  altar. It is important to note that lsaac was a young man at this time, so 

Abraham could not have bound Isaac and laid him on the altar without  his cooperation. It is possible that Abraham had told Isaac what was  happening, and Isaac was a full participant in this act. 

Question for application  

Does living by faith in god require that our trust in god and our  faithfulness to him be tested? Explain. How can we know that it is god who is asking us to do something difficult  that poses a challenge to our faith? 

B. God spares Isaac  

Abraham took his knife in hand and prepared to end the life of his  only and beloved son. At this point it was certain that both Abraham and  Isaac were fully committed to obeying God. 

Then god intervened. An angel called Abraham’s name twice to  get his attention. Note that the angel did not say, now I know you love  god more than you love your son .’ rather, the angel say, now I know  that you fear god, because you have not withheld from me your son,  your only son. Abraham obeyed because he had a reverent awe of god  that required allegiance to him above all else. Such reverence is a  hallmark of those who are faithful to the lord’s. 

Having passed the test, Abraham saw a ram caught in a bush-the  lord provided a sacrifice as a substitute for Isaac. This is a marvellous  symbol of what Christ did for us. The ram took Isaac’s place, dying in his  stead. Similarly, Jesus died for humanity. And we have the hope of life  through his death. 

Question for application 

Do you believe that, when our faith is tested, god grants us special gift of  grace and faith to pass the test? 

Explain. 

How can the story of Abraham and Isaac help us better understand  Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf? 

Response to the word 

The test of our faithfulness to god does not come at the points of  our choosing, but at the points of god’s choosing. Our faithfulness is  shown in doing those things god requires. Abraham did not understand  god’s command, but still he obeyed. His faith in God prevailed. By  Abraham example, we are taught to keep trusting and obeying even  when we do not understand. As we walk day by day, how can we  prepare ourselves to face the challenges of our faith? 

3. Abraham‘s faith rewarded  

 A. Abraham blessed by God  

In Genesis 22:15-18, the blessings God had formerly pronounced  on Abraham were repeated. God assured Abraham that his promises  would be fulfilled. On this point, God’s promise to Abraham became a  solemn compact, ratified by a divine pledge. Sheds important light of  understand onto this passage: “when God made his promise to  Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore  by himself, saying, ‘ I will surely bless you and give you many  descendants”.  

We can count on God’s promises to be as certain to happen as if they  have already happened. 

God promised Abraham that all the nations of the earth would be  blessed through him, because of his obedience to God. Through the  nation of Israel, God’s word has been given as a blessing to all nations.  People of all nations are blessed with the opportunity to be saving from  sin and gain eternal life descendant of Abraham and King David. 

Question for application 

Over the course of Abraham’s lifetime, God repeated the blessing and  promises he made to him several times. Why did Abraham –and why do  we – need to hear again and again the blessings and promises of God?  

How would you explain to someone how the blessings and promises  God made to Abraham 4,000 years ago have become a blessing to all  the nations and families? 

B. Abraham’s faith  

 Celebrated  

 Hebrews identified Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac to God as a  demonstration of great trust in him. God gave Abraham could not be  fulfilled if Isaac died. Isaac was the only link between Abraham and the  future God had promised to him, and to all nations. The promised seed  that would come from Isaac would be Jesus the messiah. God’s plan of  redemption was rooted Isaac. 

Despite the dire situation that Abraham was presented with on mount  moriah, Abraham still trusted God to keep His promises. Abraham  concluded that if necessary God would raise Isaac from the dead.  Abraham believed in the resurrection of the dead even when there was  no account of anyone having been raised from dead. Of course, God 

spared Abraham from having to follow through with the command. 

Thus, in a figurative sense, it was as if Isaac had been raised from dead.  In effect, what happened to Isaac could be considered prophetic,  foretelling the death and resurrection of Christ. 

Question for application  

At its heart, faith in God means trust in God, when we act on our belief  by obeying his commands. Why, then, is trust an essential part of belief  in God?  

The writer of Hebrews says Abraham believed that, if necessary, God  would raise Isaac from the dead. 

What can this teach us about how we respond when God calls us to do  something challenging, or difficult to understand? 

Response to the word 

Abraham found blessing and promises that in time would prove to be  blessings and promises to all who will trust in the Lord. However, these  things did not come easily to Abraham. They included conditions, and  came amid hard circumstances. 

God’s blessings and promises comes to us in the same way, with  conditions of obedience and sometime amid hard circumstances that  teach us to be thankful and rejoice in every good thing He brings into our  lives. 

Call to discipleship 

As a follower of God, Abraham was expected by God to be obedient  to His commandments. As followers of Christ, we are expected to be  obedient to His commandments. Jesus said we prove our love for Him 

by obeying His commands. It is of highest importance that we prove our  love for Christ by keeping His commandments in all aspects of life. Sadly, some profess Christ yet selectively obey the commands of  Jesus, obeying what they like and ignoring the rest. This is not  discipleship. Abraham proved his faithfulness to God by his obedience to  God in everything he was commanded to do.  

Ministry in action  

We sometimes fall to realise that we minister to others simply by doing  what is right, because it is pleasing to God. Encourage students to  remember all the people who have ministered to them by being a  positive influence on their doing what was right. Challenge them to follow  that same example on behalf of others well.