ANSWERS TO BIBLE STUDY QUESTION WEEK 2

1     How should we look at faith?

First of all, we can’t see faith. Faith is unseen. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

2    Did He (God) have faith in His Word to bring about what He said, or did He   (God) have faith with His Word to bring about what He said?

He had faith in His Word that in using His spoken Word it would be accomplished.

 

3    As God creation, what are we capable of doing?

Man is capable of taking those things which are not and bringing to naught those things which are! He is capable of taking things that are not revealed to the physical senses and bringing to naught things that are revealed to the physical senses.

 

4    When you operate according to God’s law, what will it cause?

Operating according to God’s law causes you to be able to shape things that don’t seem to be-the unseen-into a workable situation. You must cooperate with God’s law.

 

5    What book is you reading now that help you in your faith?

I am read the book of “The Prayer of Jabez”

 

6    Give a biblical story of this principle working.

Abram assured by God that he was in the right place, deserted Canaan for Egypt in a time of famine, and tried to pass off Sarai as his sister, to purchase his own safety at her expense in Gen. 12:10-20.

   He returned to Canaan in Gen. 13:1 at which point Lot (Heb. lot, envelope, covering) and he separated and divided up the Promised Land (13:14-17), well before the name change in 17:5. He opposed all the kings (14:13-16) and then refused the world’s wealth in (14:21-24), confirming his new confidence and faith in the protection of God.

   Although Abram and Sarai followed their own ways and through an Egyptian handmaid, Hagar, and she had Ishmael when Abram was age 86 (Gen. 16:7-16), in gentle grace God picked up the pieces in Hagar’s broken life and reaffirmed his covenant with Abram  in Genesis 17:1.

   In three ways the Lord made his promises more sure.

• First, by making Abram and Sarai into new people (17:3-5, 15-16). This is the significance of the gift of new names: they are themselves made new, with new capacities.
• Second, the Lord restated and amplified his spoken promises so as to leave no doubt of his seriousness in making them (17:6-8).
• Third, he sealed his promises with the sign of circumcision (17:9-14) so that forever after Abraham and his family would be able to look at their bodies and say, "The Lord has indeed kept his promises to me!" This must be accompanied by a "circumcision of the heart."   Out of this experience, and having the promises confirmed and sealed, Abraham’s faith grew to maturity.

   The Lord appeared to Abram for the New Covenant, on the ninth day, with a new initiate, the promise of future sons (8 plus 1 adopted = 9), who is the ninth person from Shem.

   Abram settled in Canaan, where God made a covenant (special agreement) with him. The covenant promised that Abram would have many descendants and Canaan would be their "everlasting possession" if they remained faithful to God (Genesis 17:4-8). As a symbol of His pledge, God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means father of many nations. God commanded Abraham and all males in his family to be circumcised as a symbol of this covenant.

Now, Romans 4:17 comes into place “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

I was always taught that God changed Abram’s name way before his son Ishmael was born, so that the people around him could speak those things which are not as though they were into his life as they called him Abraham.  Very wise!