The Gospel in Galatians

The Priority of the Promise

Lesson #6 for August 5, 2017

Scriptures: Galatians 3:15-20; Genesis 9:11-17; 15:1-6; Matthew 5:17-20; Exodus 16:22-26[1].

1.    Someone once asked a politician, “Have you kept all the promises that you made during the campaign?” He responded, “Yes . . . well, at least all the promises that I intended to keep.”

Who hasn’t, at one time or another, been at one end or the other of a broken promise? Who hasn’t been the one to break a promise or the one to have a promise made to him or her broken?

Sometimes people make a promise, fully intending to keep it, but, later, don’t; others make a promise, knowing—as the sounds leave their mouths or the letters their fingers—it’s all a lie.

Fortunately for us, God’s promises are of an entirely different order. God’s Word is sure and unchanging. “ ‘I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it,’ ” says the Lord (Isa. 46:11, ESV)—Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Sabbath, July 29.

2.    This lesson will focus on the relationship among faith, God’s promises, and obedience to the law as described in Galatians 3:15-20[2]. What is suggested by the idea that the law was “added”? Was there ever a time when the law did not exist? (See MB 109.2.) This passage, of course, focuses on the story of Abraham and God’s promise to him. Isn’t the law a transcript of God’s character? What is implied by Mark 2:27-28? (Compare and contrast Exodus 19:8; 24:3,7[3]) Haven’t the principles of the law been there for all eternity?

We have only glimmering light in regard to the exceeding breadth of the law of God. The law spoken from Sinai is a transcript of God's character.

Many who claim to be teachers of the truth have no conception of what they are handling when they are presenting the law to the people, because they have not studied it; they have not put their mental powers to the task of understanding its significance.—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald,* February 4, 1890, par. 1.

The law of love is the foundation of God's government, and the service of love the only service acceptable to heaven. God has granted freedom of will to all, endowed men with capacity to appreciate his character, and therefore with ability to love him and to choose his service. So long as created beings worshiped God they were in harmony throughout the universe. While love to God was supreme, love to others abounded. As there was no transgression of the law, which is the transcript of God's character, no note of discord jarred the celestial harmonies.—Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times,* February 13, 1893, par. 1.

3. In what form did Abraham have a law? Did he know anything about the Ten Commandments? What is implied by the statement Abraham “kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws”? (Genesis 26:5, NRSV) That was before Sinai.

4.    Read Genesis 12:1-3; 15:18; 17:1-8[4]. Who was doing all the promising in these verses? Was Abraham making any promises to God? The fulfillments sometimes took a long time! Or, was God making all the promises to Abraham? Compare Jeremiah 31:31-34[5]. This passage in Jeremiah is sometimes referred to as the new covenant. How does it compare with the promises made to Abraham earlier in Genesis?

5.    What is the difference between a covenant and a will? A covenant is an agreement between two or more people and is sometimes referred to as a contract or a treaty. By contrast, a will is a declaration by a single person of what s/he would like to have done with her/his property after her/his death. As you read these verses in Genesis, would you describe it more like a will? Or, more like a covenant? One Person was doing all of the promising. In what sense was Abraham a part of that covenant? Did God ask him to do anything? How do you understand Genesis 17:9-16[6]?

6.    Abraham had been asked to follow God’s covenant. He had left Ur of the Chaldees and had traveled to Haran and later proceeded from Haran to Canaan. He had no official property of his own. Wouldn’t you say that there must have been a significant relationship?

7.    There are several very important points that Paul wanted to make about this agreement and about the later commandments given from Mount Sinai. First of all, he wanted to make it clear that the promises God made to Abraham were in no way modified or nullified by anything that happened later, including the giving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai. See Genesis 13:15; 17:8; Romans 4:13; Galatians 3:29; Isaiah 46:11; and Hebrews 6:18.[7]

Here [in Genesis 3:15] was the first promise of a Saviour who would stand on the field of battle to contest the power of Satan and prevail against him.

Christ came to our world to represent the character of God as it is represented in His holy law; for His law is a transcript of His character.

Christ was both the law and the gospel. The angel that proclaims the everlasting gospel [Revelation 14:6] proclaims the law of God; for the gospel of salvation brings men to obedience of the law, whereby their characters are formed after the divine similitude.—Ellen G. White, Ms 32,1896*; 17MR* 7.4; Christ Triumphant* 339.2. [Bold type and content in brackets are added.]

8.    If the law is a transcript of God’s character and if the angels in heaven found it surprising that there ever was such a thing as a law, (Mount of Blessing 109) doesn’t that imply that the law is everlasting? Why wasn’t the law spelled out at least in the days of Noah? Or, at least early in the experience of Abraham? We keep failing and God keeps adding laws and commands. Did Adam and Eve have any laws before they sinned?

If man had kept the law of God, as given to Adam after his fall, preserved by Noah, and observed by Abraham, there would have been no necessity for the ordinance of circumcision. And if the descendants of Abraham had kept the covenant, of which circumcision was a sign, they would never have been seduced into idolatry, nor would it have been necessary for them to suffer a life of bondage in Egypt; they would have kept God’s law in mind, and there would have been no necessity for it to be proclaimed from Sinai or engraved upon the tables of stone. And had the people practiced the principles of the Ten Commandments, there would have been no need of the additional directions given to Moses.—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets* 364.2. Compare Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 299.2-3 (1864); Spirit of Prophecy, vol.1, 264.2 (1870).

9.    If God’s plan of salvation is based on justification alone and has nothing to do with observance of law, why was the giving of a law necessary? Does the law have only a temporary application or jurisdiction? (Galatians 3:24) Many of our Christian friends believe that the law given at Sinai-otherwise known as the Ten Commandments-was only applicable from the time of Sinai until the death of Christ. Which of the ten do they think is/are not in force anymore? How does that fit with our understanding that the law is everlasting and eternal in its application?

10.    Review your understanding of what happened at Sinai. There was a great ball of fire that came down on the mountain, and there was black smoke and probably thunder and lightning, and a powerful voice speaking out of the dark cloud along with an earthquake that shook everyone. The children of Israel were terrified and stood at a distance. (Exodus 20:18-20[8]) What was God trying to do? Is that the way God teaches people to love?

11.    What was God trying to teach the children of Israel by that experience? Would you be comfortable having an intimate relationship with a God who would do such a thing? Why did God do that? When Jesus came down to this earth about 1500 years later:

The poorest and humblest were not afraid to approach Him; even little children were attracted to Him. They loved to climb upon His lap and to kiss that pensive face, benignant with love.—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church,* vol 3, 422.1; GW92* 261.3.

12.    Why was there such a wide discrepancy in behavior by the same God?

13.    Abraham had several very open and relatively friendly and intimate conversations with God. (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23[9]) What do we know about them? See Genesis 17:1-22; 18:1-33[10]. Were those encounters common? Did those conversations prepare Abraham for what took place later that is recorded in Genesis 22:1-2[11]?

14.    Let us return to the major question: What is the purpose of the law? If you had been in God’s place trying to establish a new government for the children of Israel, would you have left out any of the Ten Commandments? Which one of them do you think we could do without today? It is interesting to notice that our Christian friends want to keep nine of the Ten Commandments; but, they are not comfortable with what we call the fourth commandment or the Sabbath commandment. Why do you think that is? Is that command arbitrary? There are death decrees mentioned in the Bible for disobeying each of the Ten Commandments except the tenth; one cannot read the mind of another to determine whether or not s/he covets!

15.    There are two kinds of laws that we know about. Laws such as the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology are called descriptive laws. For example, the law of gravity was formulated mathematically simply to describe how gravity affects everything we know about. The other kind of laws are proscriptive laws. They include things like the speed limit on roads and on which side of the road one is supposed to drive; these laws are, more or less, arbitrary and decided by some governing authority. Which of these types of laws-descriptive or proscriptive-best describes God’s Ten Commandments? Are they descriptive? Does that change your attitude toward God?

16.    Does understanding the true nature of the law help us develop a better relationship with God Himself? Is it true that God only asks us to do things which are for our own good?

17.    Does keeping the Ten Commandments change us? Does it make us happier? Healthier? Holier? Does it change our hearts? Does justification change us? In what way are we supposed to be changed by the plan of salvation which means healing? Are we saved by accepting the righteousness and redemption that Christ has prepared for us? Or, must some change take place in us? Does God intend for us to be changed? Or, just forgiven? Will heaven be populated with pardoned crooks? Or, transformed saints?

18.    Are we saved by justification alone? Or, do we need some sanctification as well? Is it possible to receive justification alone? Or, is receiving justification the first step in receiving sanctification? Remember that justification is by faith, and sanctification is by faith, and salvation/healing is by faith. Is faith the only true requirement for salvation? (See Acts 16:31[12].) If so, what does that imply? What does the law have to do with faith? Or, does faith do away with the law? (Romans 3:31[13]) God forbid!

19.    Would it be fair to say that the Ten Commandments have virtually nothing to do with our salvation? Does having faith abolish the need for the law? (Romans 3:31; 7:7,12; 8:3; Matthew 5:17-20[14])

20.    There are many circumstances under which following God’s commandments literally preserves us from destruction.

Moreover, genuine faith implies in itself an unreserved willingness to fulfill the will of God in a life of obedience to His law.... Real faith, based on wholehearted love for the Saviour, can lead only to obedience.—The SDA Bible Commentary,* vol. 6, 510.2.

Let us relate ourselves to God in self-denying, self-sacrificing obedience. Faith in Christ always leads to willing, cheerful obedience.

He died to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. There is to be perfect conformity, in thought, word, and deed, to the will of God. Heaven is only for those who have purified their souls through obedience to the truth.—Ellen G. White, Letter 301,* November 2, 1904, to Elder and Mrs. S. N. Haskell; Bible Training School, February 1, 1905, par. 3; The Gospel Herald, March 1, 1905, par. 3; This Day with God 315.5; Our Father Cares 247.5.

21.    If, in fact, justification by faith means that we no longer need the law, would it then be all right to commit adultery, murder, steal, tell lies, etc.? Wasn’t the law given to protect us from just such things happening until we became mature enough to realize it is best to do right because it is right? Does this help us to understand why James called it the “law of liberty”? (James 1:25; 2:12[15])

The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a sense of obligation merely-because he is required to do so-will never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. When the requirements of God are accounted a burden because they cut across human inclination, we may know that the life is not a Christian life. True obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all righteousness [98] is loyalty to our Redeemer.

This will lead us to do right because it is right-because right doing is pleasing to God.—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons* 97.3-98.0.

22.    When the Jews in Jesus’s day referred to the Law, what were they talking about? The traditional Jewish understanding of the word Law referred to the Torah or the five books of Moses. But, sometimes, they would use the word Law to refer to the entire portion of the Bible that we call the Old Testament. (John 10:34; Psalms 82:6[16])

23.    Modern-day Christians often use the word law to refer strictly to the Ten Commandments. This is sometimes called the law of God or sometimes the law of Moses. By contrast, the ceremonial law refers to the large collection of requirements given to the children of Israel after the giving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai to guide them in all of their daily activities as well as in their worship activities.

24.    Did Paul tell us specifically what law he was speaking about? (Compare Galatians 3:19 and Romans 5:13,20[17]) Ellen White wrote quite clearly on this subject. (See 1SM 233-235; 3SG 299.2-3; ST, June 17, 1880, par. 2-3; 1SP 264.2-265.1; PP 364.2; SR 148.3-149.1.)

25.    Surely, Paul was not trying to suggest that the law was added to the Abrahamic covenant in such a way as to modify it in some way. The law had been in existence long before Sinai. But, the relationship that God had with Abraham when He gave His covenant was very different from the relationship He had with the ex-slaves just coming out of Egypt. The ex-slaves needed clear, detailed, and specific directions. The law was never intended to be a recipe for salvation. However, it does clearly point out sin.

26.    So, is it the moral law or the ceremonial law that more specifically points out sins? Clearly, it is the moral law. (Romans 3:20; 5:13,20; 7:7,8,13[18]) The ceremonial law simply adds many detailed instructions about how different portions of the moral law are to be carried out.

The law acts as a magnifying glass. That device does not actually increase the number of dirty spots that defile a garment, but makes them stand out more clearly and reveals many more of them than one is able to see with the naked eye.—William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary, Exposition on Galatians (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1968), p. 141. (As quoted in Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday, August 1.)

27.    It seems that the Galatians-and especially the Judaizing Christians who had gone to Galatia-needed to reorient their thinking. What about us? Do we need a paradigm shift?

28.    So, coming back to the question of which law was being specifically referred to as being added, what should be our answer? We need to understand that since the days of Alexander the Great, the Greeks had been telling the world that to be civilized they needed to adopt Greek culture, speak the Greek language, make cities that looked like Greek cities, etc. In general, that split people into two large categories. Some believed that everyone should cooperate with the Greeks and just get along and get on with their lives.

29.    Others believed that they should do everything possible to resist that Hellenization-which is the technical term for that Greek civilization orientation. Among the Jews there were numerous groups all of whom took different approaches. The Essenes were so strict in their attempts to follow what they believed were the correct Jewish codes that they even moved out of Jerusalem to establish a center near the Dead Sea. They did not want to be contaminated even by the teachings of the Pharisees.

30.    The Sadducees were on the opposite extreme. While they purported to be religious leaders, in general, they favored cooperation with the Greeks and, later, the Romans. They accepted only the five Books of Moses as their guiding light. By contrast, the Pharisees believed that the only solution was to resist every influence that might take them away from their Jewish heritage. It was the Pharisees who most often resisted Jesus. They had spelled out in hundreds of detailed laws such things as how to keep the Sabbath.

31.    Who was the most famous Pharisee of all? While you may not have thought of him in that way, it was Paul the Apostle! Other Pharisees that are known by name from the Bible include Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Simon the former leper, and probably Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The Pharisees clearly taught that a detailed observation of all the rules was what was needed.

32.    In this context, the most famous ex-Pharisee, Paul, surely was in an excellent position to point out the problems with that approach.

33.    Does the fact that Paul suggested that the law was added mean that it did not exist prior to Sinai? That certainly cannot be true in light of Genesis 9:5-6; 18:19; 26:5; 39:7-10; and Exodus 16:22-30[19]. Ellen White suggested that even the angels were surprised to find that there was a law. (Mount of Blessing 109.1,2)

34.    God who regarded Abraham as His friend did not believe it was necessary to approach him with a black cloud, thunder, lightning, and fire. But, the children of Israel who were almost completely ignorant about God and His requirements needed all of that.

35.    Many of our Christian friends reading those verses interpret them to mean that the law came into effect at Mount Sinai and ended when Christ died on the cross. That certainly conflicts with much of what Paul said in the book of Romans and also conflicts with Matthew 5:17-19[20].

36.    Are they suggesting that after the death of Christ it is okay to commit adultery? Kill? Steal? Or, lie? Of course not! They only want to do away with the Sabbath commandment. So, what did Christ actually do to deal with sin? (Romans 8:3-4) Did Christ provide a true remedy for sin? Was it that He paid the price for our sins? Did He provide for our justification? Did His death make it possible for God to forgive us? Or, did His life and death teach us the truth about God and about sin so that our choices are clear?

37.    No one can doubt the impressive display that God put on at Mount Sinai. Did it convince the children of Israel to carefully observe all of His requirements for years to come? Of course not! Six weeks later they were dancing drunk and naked around the golden calf. (Exodus 32[21])

38.    There are a number of places in the Scriptures, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, suggesting that love is the fulfillment of all the law. See Leviticus 19:18; Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:8,10[22], etc. If we truly love God and love our fellow men and women, would we intentionally break any of the Ten Commandments? If the law of God were established in our hearts as a guiding principle for our lives, how would that impact our Christianity? Does the law have anything to do with the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23[23]?

39.    Many Christians make a great deal out of the fact that Jesus is our Mediator. Where did that idea come from? Who was it that first pleaded for a mediator in the Old Testament? (Exodus 20:18-20[24]) While angels are not specifically mentioned in Exodus, it is very interesting to notice that in Deuteronomy 33:2; Acts 7:38,53; and Hebrews 2:2[25], the Bible writers suggested that angels were involved along with Moses in mediating between God and the children of Israel.

40.    How did Abraham manage to develop such a good relationship with God at a time when there were no churches, no pastors, the Bible had not yet been written, and apparently, he was surrounded by pagans?

41.    What is our relationship to the law? When we think of its provisions and directions, do we immediately feel condemned? Are we thankful that God grades on the curve? Or, does He? Do we think that the Ten Commandments are a wonderful goal toward which we strive but which no one can ever reach? Do we need to rethink our understanding of God’s law? If we receive the Spirit of God and manifest the fruit of the Spirit, would that mean that we are obeying the principles of the law? Why did God make so much use of law?

42.    Finally, we must agree with Paul that the giving of the law of the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial laws about 430 years after the original agreement with Abraham did not invalidate that agreement or modify it in any way. We should also agree with Paul that the law still serves as an excellent guide for human behavior. When held up like a mirror alongside our behavior, it quickly points to areas where we need help.

43.    For those of us who believe and accept the larger-view, great-controversy, trust, healing model of the plan of salvation, the life and death of Jesus Christ have given us a clear picture of the kind of Person God is and the devastating results of sin. God’s law spells out the nature of sin in more detail. It is only by studying and meditating on the life of Christ and by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to transform us into His nature that we have any chance of becoming more like Him so that we can enter the kingdom of heaven.

© 2017, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version.    Info@theox.org

1-Gal 3:15-20 NIV Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. (16) The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. (17) What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. (18) For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (19) Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. (20) A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

Gen 9:11-17 NIV I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth." (12) And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: (13) I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. (14) Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, (15) I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. (16) Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (17) So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."

Gen 15:1-6 NIV After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." (2) But Abram said, "Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" (3) And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." (4) Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir." (5) He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." (6) Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Mat 5:17-20 NIV "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (18) For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (19) Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (20) For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Exo 16:22-26 NIV On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much--two omers for each person--and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. (23) He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'" (24) So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. (25) "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. (26) Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any."

2-Gal 3:15-20 NIV Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. (16) The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. (17) What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. (18) For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (19) Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. (20) A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

3-Mar 2:27-28 NIV Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (28) So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Exo 19:8 NIV The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

Exo 24:3 NIV When Moses went and told the people all the LORD's words and laws, they responded with one voice, "Everything the LORD has said we will do."

Exo 24:7 NIV Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey."

4-Gen 12:1-3 NIV The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. (2) "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Gen 15:18 NIV On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates--

Gen 17:1-8 NIV When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. (2) Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." (3) Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, (4) "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. (5) No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. (6) I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. (7) I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (8) The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

5-Jer 31:31-34 NIV "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. (32) It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. (33) "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (34) No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

6-Gen 17:9-16 NIV Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. (10) This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. (11) You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. (12) For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring. (13) Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. (14) Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." (15) God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. (16) I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."

7-Gen 13:15 NIV All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.

Gen 17:8 NIV The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."

Rom 4:13 NIV It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

Gal 3:29 NIV If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Isa 46:11 NIV From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.

Heb 6:18 NIV God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.

8-Exo 20:18-20 NIV When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance (19) and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." (20) Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

9-2Ch 20:7 NIV Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?

Isa 41:8 NIV "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,

Jas 2:23 NIV And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

10-Gen 17:1-22 NIV When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. (2) Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." (3) Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, (4) "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. (5) No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. (6) I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. (7) I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (8) The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." (9) Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. (10) This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. (11) You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. (12) For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring. (13) Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. (14) Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." (15) God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. (16) I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." (17) Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" (18) And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" (19) Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. (20) And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. (21) But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." (22) When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

Gen 18:1-33 NIV The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. (2) Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. (3) He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. (4) Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. (5) Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way--now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say." (6) So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread." (7) Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. (8) He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. (9) "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said. (10) Then one of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. (11) Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. (12) So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?" (13) Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' (14) Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son." (15) Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh." (16) When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. (17) Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? (18) Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. (19) For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." (20) Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous (21) that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." (22) The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. (23) Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? (24) What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? (25) Far be it from you to do such a thing--to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (26) The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." (27) Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, (28) what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." (29) Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." (30) Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." (31) Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." (32) Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." (33) When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

11-Gen 22:1-2 NIV Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. (2) Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love--Isaac--and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you."

12-Act 16:31 NIV They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

13-Rom 3:31 NIV Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

14-Rom 3:31 NIV Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Rom 7:7 NIV What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."

Rom 7:12 NIV So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

Mat 5:17-20 NIV "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (18) For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (19) Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (20) For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

15-Jas 1:25 NIV But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do.

Jas 2:12 NIV Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,

16-Psa 82:6 NIV "I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.'

17-Gal 3:19 NIV Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.

Rom 5:13 NIV To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law.

Rom 5:20 NIV The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

18-Rom 3:20 NIV Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Rom 5:13 NIV To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law.

Rom 5:20 NIV The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

Rom 7:7-8 NIV What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." (8) But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.

Rom 7:13 NIV Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

19-Gen 9:5-6 NIV And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. (6) "Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.

Gen 18:19 NIV For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

Gen 26:5 NIV because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions."

Gen 39:7-10 NIV and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" (8) But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. (9) No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" (10) And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

Exo 16:22-30 NIV On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much--two omers for each person--and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. (23) He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'" (24) So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. (25) "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. (26) Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." (27) Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. (28) Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? (29) Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out." (30) So the people rested on the seventh day.

20-Mat 5:17-19 NIV "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (18) For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (19) Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

21-Exo 32:1-35 NIV When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." (2) Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." (3) So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. (4) He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." (5) When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." (6) So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. (7) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. (8) They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' (9) "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. (10) Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." (11) But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? (12) Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. (13) Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'" (14) Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. (15) Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. (16) The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. (17) When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp." (18) Moses replied: "It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear." (19) When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. (20) And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. (21) He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?" (22) "Do not be angry, my lord," Aaron answered. "You know how prone these people are to evil. (23) They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.' (24) So I told them, 'Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.' Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!" (25) Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. (26) So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him. (27) Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" (28) The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. (29) Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day." (30) The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." (31) So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. (32) But now, please forgive their sin--but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." (33) The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. (34) Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin." (35) And the LORD struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

22-Lev 19:18 NIV "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Gal 5:14 NIV For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Rom 13:8 NIV Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Rom 13:10 NIV Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

23-Gal 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

24-Exo 20:18-20 NIV When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance (19) and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." (20) Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

25-Deu 33:2 NIV He said: "The LORD came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.

Act 7:38 NIV He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.

Act 7:53 NIV you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it."

Heb 2:2 NIV For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,

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