1-3-10-The_Promises_of_God

1. Who is speaking, according to Genesis 3:14?

2. Notice, therefore, that in verse 15 it is still who is speaking.

After reading Genesis 3:14-15 again, God spoke these words to the serpent.

We see that God says that from now on the relationship between the serpent and the woman will be one of continual enmity.  The word enmity means a feeling of hatred.  God also says this enmity between Satan and Eve will continue through their offspring.  Note this word offspring here means descendant.

In verse 15 God promises that the day would come when there would arise one of the descendants of the woman who would gravely wound the serpent (Satan).

Thousands of years after God spoke these words, a descendant of Eve was born of a woman (without a human father) and fulfilled this promise  Who was he?

When did Jesus deal Satan the blow which would eventually kill him (the blow on the head)?

We have seen that God promised that a Savior would deal a blow to Satan's head that would eventually kill him.  In doing so He Himself would be wounded in the heel.

Death by crucifixion was one of the most cruel and painful inventions of man.  The victim was nailed through the hands and Feet to a wooden post.  He suffered from hunger, severe thirst, and dreadful convulsions of pain.  Every breath increased the agony since His whole weight rested uon His HEELS.  With each breath He was forced to lift Himself up onto His Heels.  On and on he went in this condition until at last all of His strength was gone.  Unable to lift Himself anymore, His breathing finally stopped and death would come.  Often a strong man kept up this suffering for four or five days.

Exercise: Underline Genesis 3:15 in your Bible in Red, because it is the first promise of the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ, given by God immediately after man had fallen into sin,

Every living being in the world is true to its nature, for example, by nature a fish swims in water.  In the same way, God's nature is to keep His promises.

Note: The word "nature" here means a person's character or personality OR the things which help us tell one individual from another.

Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:13 that God cannot disown Himself.  This means that He cannot go against His own nature - His nature is to keep promises.

Why does God keep His promises?

God keeps His promises because it is His nature to do so.  At times there is a long period of time before fulfillment comes.

God has His own time for everything.  Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.  There is a to be born, a to die, a to plant, etc.  There is also a to fulfill promises.

Christ couldn't be born before the proper time arrived.  The Sun doesn't come out at midnight, because its proper time hasn't yet come.  Why wasn't the Lord Jesus born in David's time?

Paul says in Galatians 4:4, "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son."

Why do we have to wait until God's promises are fulfilled?

Why don't you stop a minute to pray?

Using the Promises

There are some 5,000 promises in the Bible.  There are promises for each human situation which are not to be left hidden in the Bible but are to be read and taken to others.  Which promise would you use for each of these cases?  This lesson will prepare you for this task.

Some of God's promises have two parts.  In one part, God tells us what to DO or what to BE, and then He gives His promise.  This kind of a promise is a "conditional" promise.  The part for us to do, is the "condition."

A conditional promise, then, is one in which God tells us what we must do or be before He will fulfill the promise.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

The Condition is "Come to me."  The promise is "I will give you rest."

What is the condition for the promise in 1 John 5:14?  "If we ask anything according to ."

What is the Condition for each of the following Promises? (look up each verse and write the condition)

A promise with NO Condition means that God will do it no matter what else happens.  We call this kind of a promise and Unconditional Promise.  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8) is a promise with no condition.

Read John 3:16.

1. God loved us enough to send his only Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die on the so that we might have a way to be forgiven of our sins and to live forever with God.  However, what condition must we meet if we are to experience ?

2. Write the condition:

3. Tell what the promise is:

God gave some people promises calling them right out by name:

Even though you don't find your name in the Bible, God still has some promises for you.  Find out what some of these are by looking up the verses and filling in the blanks below.

1. If you are a read Proverbs 15:25.

2. If you are , Isaiah 41:17 has a promise for you.  What is it? 

3. If you are , read 1 Corinthians 10:13.

4. If you need , God tells you how you can receive it in James 1:5.

Isaiah 40:31 promises for those who in the .  This is a promise.

James 5:14 is a promise to:

Hebrews 2:18 would be a good promise to remember when you are because it assures us that will help us, because He was also .

When we are afraid, we should read Psalm 91:5.

What does James 5:14-15 tell us to do when we are sick? 

When you are tempted, look up 1 Corinthians 10:13.

If our wisdom isn't enough, God has a promise in James 1:5.

If I am sick-James 5:14-15.

If I am needy-Isaiah 25:4.

Do you remember what a "conditional" promise is?  God tells what He wants from us, then what He will do for us.

Isaiah 1:19 is a promise to:

1 Peter 5:5 promises that God will give grace to the

Those who are generous have a promise in Proverbs 11:25.

Psalm 92:12 is a promise for:

According to Matthew 5:7, those who are will receive .

Those who resist the Devil have a promise in James 4:7.

Read Acts 2:38.  

1. God promises 2 things to those who repent.  What are they?

2. Is this a conditional or an unconditional promise?

3. Those who seek God are given a promise in Proverbs 8:17.

Now think of at least one person who is close to you and is in need of a promise from God.  Pray for him/her.

From the Promise Chart pick some promises that would be helpful to him/her.  Mark the promise in your Bible, using a bookmarker, so you can read the promise to him/her when you have an opportunity to this week.  If you do not live nearby or do not see him/her often, you could write him/her a letter or postcard, sharing God's promise with him/her.

Memorize the promise you have for him/her so you can give it to him/her even if you don't have your Bible with you.

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