A Contrast of Covenants
Genesis 16:1 to 18:15
This study, along with the whole Genesis series in general, has gradually given me a whole new way of seeing the Bible and the relationship between the testaments. I grew up basically being told that the New Testament is what's really relevant for us, while the Old Testament just gives some background as to what life was like BC and maybe some guidelines for how to live (Daniel) or how not to live (pick your favorite). Later, I found out that the OT is all about Christ, just like the NT. This was maybe 16 years ago now. I still concentrated my efforts on learning the NT, while only occasionally glancing at the old. Now that we're concentrating in the OT for two years in church, while using the NT as an "answer key", things are making so much more sense. Think of it this way: A math textbook. How much space is devoted to the answer key? And how much time do you spend reading it? It is essential to have and to use, but alone it makes no sense at all. The proportions in the Bible are a little different (the NT is more substantial than a textbook answer key) but the same principle applies. The NT is the answer key to the OT. If anything, I think it makes more sense to spend more time reading the old, while "looking up the answers in the back" to understand what its saying. After all, about half the NT even claims to be explaining the OT, quotes and all. Bottom line... its all (every book) about Christ, and his solution for our problem, sin.
From the Pastor: Based on Galatians 4:21-31, this section of Genesis lays the foundation for the entire Old Covenant/New Covenant dichotomy. Chapter 16 lays the groundwork for the Old Covenant, a covenant based on man’s ability (the flesh) to keep God’s holy Law and embodied in the bond woman, Hagar, and her son, Ishmael. This Old Covenant will reach its climax in the Mosaic Covenant, introduced in chapter 16, is juxtaposed against the New Covenant, clarified in 17:1-18:15. This New Covenant is based on God’s promise through Christ by faith alone, and is embodied in the free woman, Sarah, and her son, Isaac. It is the comparison of these two covenants which fills so many of the pages of the New Testament, including most of Galatians, most of Hebrews, and significant sections of Romans. For the Old Covenant leads only to bondage, but the New Covenant, confirmed by Christ’s death, leads to freedom.
1. Read Genesis 16:1-16.
a) Although tempting, what might be some reasons why one should refrain from moralizing about things like Abram’s polygamy with Hagar and Sarai’s harsh treatment of Hagar? Having a surrogate was not unusual in the day, and there was a legal system for it. Sarai would be the legal mother of Hagar's child. Sarai's harsh treatment of Hagar may have been the result of Hagar, and maybe Abram too, trying to supercede Sarai, which would be very much against God's promise. We don't know what the harsh treatment was, maybe just a demotion, since Hagar was very highly esteemed, being way above the other slaves in status. Most of all, although Sarai probably was wrong in doing this and showed a weakness in faith, the most important reason for us not to get too bogged down in the morals of what she did is that it distracts us from the real point of the passage.
b) On the other hand, what in 16:1-2 reveals some deficiencies in both Abram and Sarai’s faith? They seemed to feel that they had to sort of "help" God with carrying out the promise.
c) Read Galatians 4:21-25. How does this help you to interpret God’s plan in introducing Hagar and Ishmael into redemptive history? Ishmael represents the slavery of sin, and the "present" Jerusalem, the old covanant. (new Jerusalem = new covanant) . (BTW Muslims believe, and their scriptures teach, that it was Ishmael on the altar, not Isaac).
d) How does Galatians 4:1-6 and Hebrews 6:1-2 help us to understand the slavery of the Old Covenant? An heir is no different from a slave until the appointed time that he takes the inheritance. (Is this a picture of the grafting in of Gentiles?)
2. Read Genesis 17:1-14.
a) How does God respond in 17:1-8 to Abram’s little slip in chapter 16? God explains his covanant in detail. Despite Abraham's slip, God is sticking with the plan.
b) What aspects of the covenant in 17:1-8 stand out to you? Again, how should Galatians 3:16 govern our interpretation (indeed translation) of the word “descendants” (NASB) in 17:7-8? A case of the NT "answer key" being critical. "Descendents" is clearly an incorrect translation. "Seed", meaning "Christ", would be correct.
c) What do you observe about the rite of circumcision as the sign of the covenant in 17:9-14? It's applied to everyone who becomes part of Abraham's family (hmm.. sounds a lot like "grafting")
d) How do the following NT passages help you to see the fulfillment of circumcision in redemptive history?
i) Romans 2:25-29 Circumcisn is really just a foreshadowing -- real circumcision is on the heart.
ii) Galatians 5:1-6 Physical circumcision must not be considered a way to earn salvation.
iii) Philippians 3:2-9 The flesh is not what's important.
e) How does Romans 4:9-12 vs. 4:13-17 show that the timing of Abraham’s circumcision (after Gen. 15:6) is ultimately a contrast of the Old and New Covenants? He was saved by faith both before and after, just like both covanants (saved by faith in both covanants). It does seem strange, though to associate circumcision with the new covanant. (??) Oh, also he is able to be father to both the circumcised and uncircumcised.
3. Read Genesis 17:15-18:15.
a) It’s time for the gift of laughter. What doctrine are Abraham and Sarah still having trouble believing? Resurrection (since Sarai's womb was "resurrected"). Even miracles in general.
b) What promise does God make to both Abraham and Sarah? And how does the NT interpret their final responses to this promise?
i) Abraham from Romans 4:18-22 Abraham finally did truly believe that Sarah would have a son.
ii) Sarah from Hebrews 11:11-12 I'm not sure I see the connection here (??)
c) How does Galatians 4:26-31 reveal the difference between this covenant through Sarah and the one through Hagar? How does Romans 4:16-22 and 9:6-9 reinforce this difference between the covenants?
4. What marks the essential difference in someone under the New Covenant rather than the Old? (Hint: Reread Galatians 5:1-6 and contrast 5:19-21 with 5:22-24.) What covenant association does your life suggest? Free/Slave
This study, along with the whole Genesis series in general, has gradually given me a whole new way of seeing the Bible and the relationship between the testaments. I grew up basically being told that the New Testament is what's really relevant for us, while the Old Testament just gives some background as to what life was like BC and maybe some guidelines for how to live (Daniel) or how not to live (pick your favorite). Later, I found out that the OT is all about Christ, just like the NT. This was maybe 16 years ago now. I still concentrated my efforts on learning the NT, while only occasionally glancing at the old. Now that we're concentrating in the OT for two years in church, while using the NT as an "answer key", things are making so much more sense. Think of it this way: A math textbook. How much space is devoted to the answer key? And how much time do you spend reading it? It is essential to have and to use, but alone it makes no sense at all. The proportions in the Bible are a little different (the NT is more substantial than a textbook answer key) but the same principle applies. The NT is the answer key to the OT. If anything, I think it makes more sense to spend more time reading the old, while "looking up the answers in the back" to understand what its saying. After all, about half the NT even claims to be explaining the OT, quotes and all. Bottom line... its all (every book) about Christ, and his solution for our problem, sin.
From the Pastor: Based on Galatians 4:21-31, this section of Genesis lays the foundation for the entire Old Covenant/New Covenant dichotomy. Chapter 16 lays the groundwork for the Old Covenant, a covenant based on man’s ability (the flesh) to keep God’s holy Law and embodied in the bond woman, Hagar, and her son, Ishmael. This Old Covenant will reach its climax in the Mosaic Covenant, introduced in chapter 16, is juxtaposed against the New Covenant, clarified in 17:1-18:15. This New Covenant is based on God’s promise through Christ by faith alone, and is embodied in the free woman, Sarah, and her son, Isaac. It is the comparison of these two covenants which fills so many of the pages of the New Testament, including most of Galatians, most of Hebrews, and significant sections of Romans. For the Old Covenant leads only to bondage, but the New Covenant, confirmed by Christ’s death, leads to freedom.
1. Read Genesis 16:1-16.
a) Although tempting, what might be some reasons why one should refrain from moralizing about things like Abram’s polygamy with Hagar and Sarai’s harsh treatment of Hagar? Having a surrogate was not unusual in the day, and there was a legal system for it. Sarai would be the legal mother of Hagar's child. Sarai's harsh treatment of Hagar may have been the result of Hagar, and maybe Abram too, trying to supercede Sarai, which would be very much against God's promise. We don't know what the harsh treatment was, maybe just a demotion, since Hagar was very highly esteemed, being way above the other slaves in status. Most of all, although Sarai probably was wrong in doing this and showed a weakness in faith, the most important reason for us not to get too bogged down in the morals of what she did is that it distracts us from the real point of the passage.
b) On the other hand, what in 16:1-2 reveals some deficiencies in both Abram and Sarai’s faith? They seemed to feel that they had to sort of "help" God with carrying out the promise.
c) Read Galatians 4:21-25. How does this help you to interpret God’s plan in introducing Hagar and Ishmael into redemptive history? Ishmael represents the slavery of sin, and the "present" Jerusalem, the old covanant. (new Jerusalem = new covanant) . (BTW Muslims believe, and their scriptures teach, that it was Ishmael on the altar, not Isaac).
d) How does Galatians 4:1-6 and Hebrews 6:1-2 help us to understand the slavery of the Old Covenant? An heir is no different from a slave until the appointed time that he takes the inheritance. (Is this a picture of the grafting in of Gentiles?)
2. Read Genesis 17:1-14.
a) How does God respond in 17:1-8 to Abram’s little slip in chapter 16? God explains his covanant in detail. Despite Abraham's slip, God is sticking with the plan.
b) What aspects of the covenant in 17:1-8 stand out to you? Again, how should Galatians 3:16 govern our interpretation (indeed translation) of the word “descendants” (NASB) in 17:7-8? A case of the NT "answer key" being critical. "Descendents" is clearly an incorrect translation. "Seed", meaning "Christ", would be correct.
c) What do you observe about the rite of circumcision as the sign of the covenant in 17:9-14? It's applied to everyone who becomes part of Abraham's family (hmm.. sounds a lot like "grafting")
d) How do the following NT passages help you to see the fulfillment of circumcision in redemptive history?
i) Romans 2:25-29 Circumcisn is really just a foreshadowing -- real circumcision is on the heart.
ii) Galatians 5:1-6 Physical circumcision must not be considered a way to earn salvation.
iii) Philippians 3:2-9 The flesh is not what's important.
e) How does Romans 4:9-12 vs. 4:13-17 show that the timing of Abraham’s circumcision (after Gen. 15:6) is ultimately a contrast of the Old and New Covenants? He was saved by faith both before and after, just like both covanants (saved by faith in both covanants). It does seem strange, though to associate circumcision with the new covanant. (??) Oh, also he is able to be father to both the circumcised and uncircumcised.
3. Read Genesis 17:15-18:15.
a) It’s time for the gift of laughter. What doctrine are Abraham and Sarah still having trouble believing? Resurrection (since Sarai's womb was "resurrected"). Even miracles in general.
b) What promise does God make to both Abraham and Sarah? And how does the NT interpret their final responses to this promise?
i) Abraham from Romans 4:18-22 Abraham finally did truly believe that Sarah would have a son.
ii) Sarah from Hebrews 11:11-12 I'm not sure I see the connection here (??)
c) How does Galatians 4:26-31 reveal the difference between this covenant through Sarah and the one through Hagar? How does Romans 4:16-22 and 9:6-9 reinforce this difference between the covenants?
4. What marks the essential difference in someone under the New Covenant rather than the Old? (Hint: Reread Galatians 5:1-6 and contrast 5:19-21 with 5:22-24.) What covenant association does your life suggest? Free/Slave
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