God’s eternal plan to fix his broken world; shafts of light in the darkness of sin; and then a promise to one man that would set the agenda for the rest of history…

It looks like it’s all gone wrong but in unit 3 we learn that God has an eternal plan to save his people and restore his perfect creation. Reading on in Genesis we see that God, in his amazing grace, is going to send a saviour to rescue his fallen people. He then makes a foundational covenant or promises with one man, Abraham, which has implications for the rest of history. God promises to make himself a people through Abraham, to bring his people to a place, and to bless them. As we see more of human sin and weakness we also see more and more of God’s grace and we realise God’s people cannot save themselves. Only God can save.

But questions abound… How will he make a people from an elderly, barren couple? Where is this land? And how can he restore the perfect relationships of creation?

Your teacher will give you a copy of this handout, but you can also find a copy of it here.

This has an outline of the video that you are about to watch. You might want or take some notes on this as the video is playing.

Watch video: The promised kingdom.

DISCUSS

Read Genesis 17:1-8.

• A Covenant with three promises: What is a covenant? (v2, 3, 7)

Read Genesis 15:6. Describe Abraham’s response to God’s promises. Put it in your own words. (See also Romans 4:1-5)

• How is Abraham’s response a model for us? (See also Galatians 3:6-9)
• What would have been hard for Abraham?
• When is it hard for us to believe God’s gospel promises?