LESSON 1 INTRODUCTION PART 1 —GOD’S COVENANT PROMISES TO ISRAEL The second exodus of Israel is best understood when you understand Israel’s pre- ceding history. Before we look at Israel’s return to the promised land, let’s turn the pages of Scripture and trace Israel’s story from the beginning to learn how she ended up in captivity in the first place. In this introductory lesson, we will study God’s covenant promises, Israel’s record of failures, Israel’s kings, and God’s faith- fulness to His judgment and promises.
God Makes a Covenant with Abram
DAY 1
God reveals Himself in Scripture to be a covenant-keeping God, promising to do all that He vows. Covenants are promises that God gives to His people to reveal His character and unchanging love for them. Throughout history, God made a series of covenants like the Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic; these were a pro- gression of promises about God’s faithfulness, redemption, and provision for His creation, culminating in the new covenant. Because of the death of Jesus, the new covenant offers a new heart and forgiveness for all who believe.
FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT God made a very personal promise to Abraham that He would make him into a great nation, with specified land, innumerable descendants, and many spiritual blessings (Gen. 12:1–3 and 15:5). God would fulfill His promises and keep this everlasting covenant, no matter the choices of Abraham or his descendants. God’s covenant keeping is based on His own faithful charac- ter, not on man’s human actions. Though this covenant was a promise from God, man had to receive it through faith (Gen. 15:6), not by doing any works. The Abrahamic covenant and the new covenant (which Christ followers are under today) are one covenant of grace made to sinners who receive them through saving faith.
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