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BIBLE LESSONS FOR YOUTH

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 5, 1878

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 52, No. 11.

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BIBLE LESSONS FOR YOUTH.

Lesson XIII.—The Seed of Abraham.

QUESTIONS.

  1. What can you say in regard to the value of Abraham’s experience in offering up his son?
  2. What did it help him to better appreciate?
  3. What did it help him to understand?
  4. How has God manifested his love? 1 John 4:9, 10.
  5. What do all men have through Christ? 1 Cor. 15:22.
  6. As Abraham had been called upon to offer up his son Isaac, what was he to understand that God would really do with his son Jesus?
  7. As Abraham had believed that God would raise up Isaac from the dead, what was he to believe that God would really do with Christ?
  8. To whom were the promises made? Gal. 3:16; Acts 7:5.
  9. To whom were these promises renewed? Gen. 26:1–4; 28:13, 14.
  10. In what way did Moses make use of these promises? Ex. 32:13.
  11. What encouragement had Moses for making this plea? Gen. 17:7.
  12. To what does the expression “seed of Abraham” often refer? 2 Chron. 20:7, 8; John 8:33, 37; Gen. 15:18.
  13. To what does it especially have reference? Gal. 3:16.
  14. Was Christ a descendant of Abraham according to the flesh? Matt. 1:1–17.
  15. Who are included with Christ as being of the seed of Abraham? Gal. 3:29; Rom. 9:8; Gal. 4:28.
  16. What does Christ say of all that are his? John 17:10.
  17. How do we become the children of God? Gal. 3:26.
  18. Who have put on Christ? Gal. 3:27.
  19. What obedience have those rendered who have been baptized? Rom. 6:17.
  20. How are the children of God made manifest? 1 John 3:10.
  21. Is not right doing identical with keeping the commandments of God?
  22. What has been already learned from Rom. 8:14?
  23. What are the fruits of the Spirit? Gal. 5:22, 23.
  24. Does love always prompt to obedience?
  25. Then to what acts will the Spirit of God lead us?
  26. Does the seed of Abraham include all the children of God?
  27. Do they all inherit the promises with Abraham?
  28. May they all expect to share the fulfillment of the promises with Abraham? Gal. 3:29.
  29. With whom are they joint heirs? Rom. 8:17.

SYNOPSIS.

Abraham’s experience in offering up his son Isaac was profitable to him not only as a trial of his faith, but in many other ways. It helped him to better appreciate the plan of salvation through Christ, and to better understand the love of God to man. For as Abraham was called upon to offer up his only son, so God would really give his only Son, Jesus, to die for the sins of men; and as Abraham believed that God would raise up Isaac from the dead, so God would really raise up Christ after his crucifixion, that all men, through him, might have a resurrection.
The promises were made to Abraham and to his seed. These promises were renewed to Isaac and Jacob, and Moses plead them in behalf of the children of Israel after they left Egypt.
Moses had strong encouragement for making this plea, as may be seen by reading Gen. 17:7.
“The seed of Abraham” often means his natural offspring, but it has special reference to Christ. For in Gal. 3:16 we read as follows: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
But all who are Christ’s are included with him as the seed of Abraham; for Gal. 3:29 says, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed,” &c. Those who are Christ’s must be the children of God; for Christ says, “All mine are thine, and thine are mine.” John 17:10.
Gal. 3:26 says that we become children of God by faith in Christ; and in the next verse, that as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Here is faith and obedience; for in being baptized we obey that form of doctrine delivered us. Rom. 6:17. In 1 John 3:10 we learn that the children of God are made manifest by right doing, and right doing is obedience to all the commandments of God.
We have already learned from Rom. 8:14 that, “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Now the Spirit of God will lead us to just those acts noticed in the passages quoted,—to faith in Christ, and obedience to the law of God, as well as to every form of doctrine delivered unto us. Gal. 5:22, 23.
So we see that all the children of God are of the seed of Abraham, and heirs according to the promise,—heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that they suffer with him. Gal. 3:29; Rom. 8:17.