Memory Text: Hebrews 11:11 NIV “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age— and Sarah herself was barren— was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.”

Sunday, July 8 Human Solutions for God’s Promise
2nd Promise to Abraham (not Eliezer) - Genesis 15:4-5 -- New American Standard 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
3rd Promise to Abraham (not Ishmael) – Genesis 17:16,19 NRSV – “16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." 19 God said, "No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.”
Genesis 17:16 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Commentators vary in their opinion as to whether Abraham’s laughter was the expression of joy or of doubt. Although it would be more pleasing to agree with those who advocate the former, on the basis of Rom. 4:19, 20, the context seems to favor the latter. Paul’s statement in Romans would then apply to Abraham’s state of mind after being convinced of the reality of the promise. The questions asked by Abraham, probably in his heart rather than spoken audibly, “Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old,” and, “Shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” do not leave the impression of being spoken in joy. They seem to express doubt. Perhaps Abraham’s laughter may also have reflected his embarrassment in finding that the divine promise regarding Sarah ignored his plans for Ishmael.
4th Promise to Abraham – Genesis 18:10,14 – 10 Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 14 “Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son."”

Monday, July 9 Telling Lies
Genesis 12:11-13 -- New Jerusalem 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "Look, I know you are a beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you they will say, `That is his wife,' and they will kill me but leave you alive. 13 Therefore please tell them you are my sister, so that they may treat me well because of you and spare my life out of regard for you."
Genesis 12:13 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE Abram did not wish his wife to tell a falsehood, but he wished her to suppress a part of the truth. From Ge 20:12, it is evident she was his step-sister, i.e., his sister by his father, but by a different mother.

Tuesday, July 10 Laughing at God
Genesis 17:15-17 NLT “15 ¶ Then God added, "Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai; from now on you will call her Sarah. 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings will be among her descendants!" 17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. "How could I become a father at the age of one hundred?" he wondered. "Besides, Sarah is ninety; how could she have a baby?"”
Genesis 17:18 -- New Jerusalem Abraham said to God, "May Ishmael live in your presence! That will be enough!"
Genesis 17:18 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Abraham would be content to accept him, the son of his own devising, in lieu even of the one to be born of Sarah.
Genesis 18:11-12 Holman 11 Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 So she laughed to herself: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?”

Wednesday, July 11 Trouble Because of Unbelief (Hagar)
Genesis 16:1-6 God’s Word to the Nations “1 ¶ Sarai, Abram’s wife, was not able to have children. She owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Why don’t you sleep with my slave? Maybe I can build a family through her." Abram agreed with Sarai. 3 After Abram had lived in Canaan for ten years, Abram’s wife Sarai took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 ¶ He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she began to be disrespectful to Sarai, her owner. 5 So Sarai complained to Abram, "I’m being treated unfairly! And it’s your fault! I know that I gave my slave to you, but now that she’s pregnant, she’s being disrespectful to me. May the LORD decide who is right––you or me." 6 Abram answered Sarai, "Here, she’s your slave. Do what you like with her." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar so much that she ran away.”
Genesis 16:1-3 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY Sarai, no longer expecting to have children herself, proposed to Abram to take another wife, whose children she might; her slave, whose children would be her property. This was done without asking counsel of the Lord. Unbelief worked, God's almighty power was forgotten.
Genesis 21:8-13 NKJV “8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9 ¶ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [namely] with Isaac." 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 "Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he [is] your seed."”
Genesis 21:13 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY Abraham was grieved that Ishmael should misbehave, and Sarah demand so severe a punishment. But God showed him that Isaac must be the father of the promised Seed; therefore, send Ishmael away, lest he corrupt the manners, or try to take the rights of Isaac.
Galatians 4:21-31 MKJV “21 ¶ Tell me, those desiring to be under Law, do you not hear the Law? 22 For it is written: Abraham had two sons, the one out of the slave-woman, and one out of the free woman. 23 But, indeed, he out of the slave-woman has been born according to flesh, and he out of the free woman through the promise; 24 which things are being allegorized; for these are the two covenants, one indeed from Mount Sinai bringing forth to slavery, which is Hagar. 25 For Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem [from] above is free, who is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, "Rejoice, barren one not bearing; break forth and shout, you not travailing; for more are the children of the desolate than she having the husband." 28 But brothers, we, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But then even as he born according to flesh persecuted him [born] according to the Spirit, so also now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the slave-woman and her son; for in no way shall the son of the slave-woman inherit with the son of the free woman." 31 Then, brothers, we are not children of a slave-woman, but of the free woman.”
Galatians 4:30 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY The solution of the problem that faced the church in Galatia and elsewhere was not to blend Judaism with Christianity, but to “cast out” the principle of Judaizing, together with all who promoted it. Salvation by works is altogether incompatible with salvation by faith. A blend of the two is impossible, for once faith is diluted by works it ceases to be pure faith.

[u]Thursday, July 12 Ultimate Demonstration of Faith (Isaac)[/u]
Genesis 22:1-19 Holman “1 ¶ After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 “Take your son,” He said, “your only /son/ Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 3 ¶ So early in the morning Abraham got up, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together. 7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. 9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 ¶ But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.” 12 Then He said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me.” 13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham named that place The LORD Will Provide, so today it is said: “It will be provided on the LORD’s mountain.” 15 ¶ Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD: Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed My command.” 19 Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-sheba.”
Genesis 22:9 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE Josephus supposes that Isaac was now twenty-five, some rabbins that he was thirty-six; but it is more probable that he was now about thirty-three, the age at which his great Antitype was offered up…In both cases the father himself offers up his only-begotten son, and the father himself binds him on the wood or to the cross; in neither case is the son forced to yield, but yields of his own accord; in neither case is the life taken away by the hand of violence; Isaac yields himself to the knife, Jesus lays down his life for the sheep.
Genesis 22:11-12 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE The sacrifice was virtually offered--the intention, the purpose to do it, was shown in all sincerity and fulness. The Omniscient witness likewise declared His acceptance in the highest terms of approval; and the apostle speaks of it as actually made.