Adults 4th Quarter of 2024
October 6, 2024
GOLDEN TEXT
"And the Lord said unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it." ( Jer 1.12 )
PRACTICAL TRUTH
God makes his promises so that we may experience a closer relationship with Him.
DAILY READING
Tuesday - Is 7.14 Jesus, the promise of our Emmanuel
BILIC READING IN CLASS
Isaiah 55.6-13
6 Seek the Lord while he can be found, call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked leave his way, and the evil man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have compassion on him; return to our God, for it is great to forgive.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth, and sprout, and give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater,
11 So shall my word that comes out of my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but it will do what I please, and it will prosper in the purpose for which I sent it.
12 For you will go out with joy, and you will be led in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn the beech will grow, and instead of the bush the myrtle will grow; which shall be unto the Lord for a name, and for an everlasting sign, which shall not be put out.
LESSON PLAN
1. INTRODUCTION
This quarter, we will study God's promises to His people throughout history. In this first lesson, we will define what God's promises are and how they are founded. In addition, we will identify the types and purposes of the promises. To discuss the subject, the commentator for this quarter is Pastor Elinaldo Renovato, Master in Administration from UFRN and in Religious Sciences from FAETEL. Pastor Elinaldo Renovato is the author of several books, including Christian Ethics, Learning Daily with Christ, The Dangers of Postmodernity and God and the Bible, all published by CPAD.
2. LESSON PRESENTATION
A) Lesson Objectives:
I) Define the divine promise as a special invitation from God to His people to enjoy a great blessing;
II) Present the foundations of divine promises and God’s infallibility regarding the fulfillment of promises;
III) List the types and purposes of divine promises throughout the Bible.
B) Motivation: Divine promises fulfill God’s plans
for His people. Experiencing His promises requires a closer relationship with Him. It is important to keep in mind that it is necessary to nurture a sincere and loyal relationship with the God who makes promises. In this sense, think about how believers can contribute to the fulfillment of divine promises in their lives.
C) Suggested Method: The second topic of this lesson highlights God’s infallibility regarding the fulfillment of His promises. In the Bible, we find several divine promises that were fulfilled. Others were not fulfilled for specific reasons. Reflect with your students: are there promises of God that are not fulfilled in the lives of believers? Ask the class “why.” Finally, emphasize that God’s promises reveal His will for His people. However, these promises must be consistent with the believer’s obedience to divine guidance. Give some examples: Abraham, regarding the birth of his son Isaac (Gen. 21:1-5); Moses, regarding the entrance into the Promised Land (Deut. 3:21-29).
3. LESSON CONCLUSION
A) Application: Receiving divine promises for our lives is knowing that God has thoughts of peace and not evil toward us. Experiencing them is not only enjoying special blessings, but also drawing closer to God in a special way, keeping in mind that our communion with Him is even more important than living His promises.
4. TEACHER SUPPORT
A) Christian Teacher Magazine. It is worth checking out this magazine that brings reports, articles, interviews and support resources for Adult Bible Lessons. In issue 99, p. 36, you will find a special subsidy for this lesson.
B) Special Aids: You will find help in preparing your class: 1) The text "AS THE LORD SAID (Gen. 12:1-9)", located after the first topic, explains that our faith is triggered by God's promises; 2) The text "PROMISE", located after the second topic, denotes God's commitment to make what He promised happen.
INTRODUCTION
The divine promises are intended to fulfill God's plans. In order to be fulfilled, they depend on complete faith in Him and in His Word. Therefore, throughout this quarter, we will study about God's Promises and their consequences in our Christian life. And, specifically, in this lesson, we will develop the subject with the objective of knowing the basic concepts, types and purposes of God's promises, according to His Word.
2. We need to seek the Lord. In verse 6 of chapter 55, the following imperative appears: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Here, we are urged by the Word of God to seek the Lord through prayer and a sincere relationship in order to obtain an answer from Him. In the New Testament, our Lord taught that to everyone who asks, it will be given; to everyone who seeks, it will be found; to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened ( Matthew 7:7 ). The Lord Jesus then confirms: "For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened" ( Matthew 7:8 ). Let us seek God while we can do so today!
3. We must repent. In our sincere search for God, we must turn to the Lord with all our heart, for He is powerful in forgiving ( Isaiah 55:7 ). When repentance prompted by the Lord truly takes place in our hearts, we realize how much greater the Lord's thoughts are than ours; His ways are higher than ours ( Isaiah 55:8,9 ). Thus, every person who has a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus experiences joy and spiritual flourishing instead of aridity and dryness ( Isaiah 55:10-13 ). There are glorious promises from God for the people who have had a true encounter with Him through Jesus, Our Lord.
SUMMARY I
God's promises are based on the truthfulness of His holy Word.
THEOLOGICAL HELP
AS THE LORD HAD SAID (Genesis 12:1-9).
"Some commentators have suggested that God's promises to Abram were conditional promises. They say that the condition was obedience to God's command to leave the city of Ur. After all,
If Abram had not left, none of the things God promised could have come to pass. This view distorts both the biblical text and a vital truth about the spiritual life. God’s promises are not activated by our obedience. Rather, it is our obedience that is activated by God’s promises. [...] What happens is that faith establishes a relationship with God, the ultimate source of energy. Faith maintains this relationship. It is an active trust in God and his promises that causes us to obey. We see this clearly in the life of Abram. Because he believed in God’s promises, he left Ur and its wealth to live a nomadic life in a new land. God’s promise activated Abram’s obedience. His obedience did not activate the promises. [...] It was the promise, and faith in the promise, that freed Abram, not only to obey God, but also to become the kind of person we all admire, selfless, loyal, courageous, humble and sincere" (RICHARDS, Lawrence 0. Comentário Devocional da Bíblia. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2012, p. 22).
"And the Lord said unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it." ( Jer 1.12 )
PRACTICAL TRUTH
God makes his promises so that we may experience a closer relationship with Him.
DAILY READING
Tuesday - Is 7.14 Jesus, the promise of our Emmanuel
Saturday - Gn 28.12-15 God repeats his promises to Jacob
Isaiah 55.6-13
6 Seek the Lord while he can be found, call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked leave his way, and the evil man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have compassion on him; return to our God, for it is great to forgive.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth, and sprout, and give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater,
11 So shall my word that comes out of my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but it will do what I please, and it will prosper in the purpose for which I sent it.
12 For you will go out with joy, and you will be led in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn the beech will grow, and instead of the bush the myrtle will grow; which shall be unto the Lord for a name, and for an everlasting sign, which shall not be put out.
Suggested Hymns from the Christian Harp
LESSON PLAN
1. INTRODUCTION
This quarter, we will study God's promises to His people throughout history. In this first lesson, we will define what God's promises are and how they are founded. In addition, we will identify the types and purposes of the promises. To discuss the subject, the commentator for this quarter is Pastor Elinaldo Renovato, Master in Administration from UFRN and in Religious Sciences from FAETEL. Pastor Elinaldo Renovato is the author of several books, including Christian Ethics, Learning Daily with Christ, The Dangers of Postmodernity and God and the Bible, all published by CPAD.
2. LESSON PRESENTATION
A) Lesson Objectives:
I) Define the divine promise as a special invitation from God to His people to enjoy a great blessing;
II) Present the foundations of divine promises and God’s infallibility regarding the fulfillment of promises;
III) List the types and purposes of divine promises throughout the Bible.
B) Motivation: Divine promises fulfill God’s plans
for His people. Experiencing His promises requires a closer relationship with Him. It is important to keep in mind that it is necessary to nurture a sincere and loyal relationship with the God who makes promises. In this sense, think about how believers can contribute to the fulfillment of divine promises in their lives.
C) Suggested Method: The second topic of this lesson highlights God’s infallibility regarding the fulfillment of His promises. In the Bible, we find several divine promises that were fulfilled. Others were not fulfilled for specific reasons. Reflect with your students: are there promises of God that are not fulfilled in the lives of believers? Ask the class “why.” Finally, emphasize that God’s promises reveal His will for His people. However, these promises must be consistent with the believer’s obedience to divine guidance. Give some examples: Abraham, regarding the birth of his son Isaac (Gen. 21:1-5); Moses, regarding the entrance into the Promised Land (Deut. 3:21-29).
3. LESSON CONCLUSION
A) Application: Receiving divine promises for our lives is knowing that God has thoughts of peace and not evil toward us. Experiencing them is not only enjoying special blessings, but also drawing closer to God in a special way, keeping in mind that our communion with Him is even more important than living His promises.
4. TEACHER SUPPORT
A) Christian Teacher Magazine. It is worth checking out this magazine that brings reports, articles, interviews and support resources for Adult Bible Lessons. In issue 99, p. 36, you will find a special subsidy for this lesson.
B) Special Aids: You will find help in preparing your class: 1) The text "AS THE LORD SAID (Gen. 12:1-9)", located after the first topic, explains that our faith is triggered by God's promises; 2) The text "PROMISE", located after the second topic, denotes God's commitment to make what He promised happen.
INTRODUCTION
The divine promises are intended to fulfill God's plans. In order to be fulfilled, they depend on complete faith in Him and in His Word. Therefore, throughout this quarter, we will study about God's Promises and their consequences in our Christian life. And, specifically, in this lesson, we will develop the subject with the objective of knowing the basic concepts, types and purposes of God's promises, according to His Word.
I - AN INVITATION FROM GOD
1. An invitation, a promise. Isaiah 55 is an invitation from God to Israel to enjoy a great divine blessing. It is a wonderful promise of redemption. Verse 11 says, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Here, the power of God’s Word is highlighted. This Word will always act with a purpose, whether for redemption or condemnation. It cannot return empty because the Sovereign is zealous to fulfill it. It is in this truthfulness of the Word that God’s promises are based. However, we need to take some steps to live out these promises.2. We need to seek the Lord. In verse 6 of chapter 55, the following imperative appears: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Here, we are urged by the Word of God to seek the Lord through prayer and a sincere relationship in order to obtain an answer from Him. In the New Testament, our Lord taught that to everyone who asks, it will be given; to everyone who seeks, it will be found; to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened ( Matthew 7:7 ). The Lord Jesus then confirms: "For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened" ( Matthew 7:8 ). Let us seek God while we can do so today!
3. We must repent. In our sincere search for God, we must turn to the Lord with all our heart, for He is powerful in forgiving ( Isaiah 55:7 ). When repentance prompted by the Lord truly takes place in our hearts, we realize how much greater the Lord's thoughts are than ours; His ways are higher than ours ( Isaiah 55:8,9 ). Thus, every person who has a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus experiences joy and spiritual flourishing instead of aridity and dryness ( Isaiah 55:10-13 ). There are glorious promises from God for the people who have had a true encounter with Him through Jesus, Our Lord.
SUMMARY I
God's promises are based on the truthfulness of His holy Word.
THEOLOGICAL HELP
AS THE LORD HAD SAID (Genesis 12:1-9).
"Some commentators have suggested that God's promises to Abram were conditional promises. They say that the condition was obedience to God's command to leave the city of Ur. After all,
If Abram had not left, none of the things God promised could have come to pass. This view distorts both the biblical text and a vital truth about the spiritual life. God’s promises are not activated by our obedience. Rather, it is our obedience that is activated by God’s promises. [...] What happens is that faith establishes a relationship with God, the ultimate source of energy. Faith maintains this relationship. It is an active trust in God and his promises that causes us to obey. We see this clearly in the life of Abram. Because he believed in God’s promises, he left Ur and its wealth to live a nomadic life in a new land. God’s promise activated Abram’s obedience. His obedience did not activate the promises. [...] It was the promise, and faith in the promise, that freed Abram, not only to obey God, but also to become the kind of person we all admire, selfless, loyal, courageous, humble and sincere" (RICHARDS, Lawrence 0. Comentário Devocional da Bíblia. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2012, p. 22).
II - PROMISES AND THEIR BASIS
1. The Promise in the Bible. The word "promise" is present throughout the Bible. In the OT, although the word is not clearly recorded, it can be seen in what the Lord promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ( Gen 12.1-3 ; 26.1-5; 28.10-15 ). In the New Testament, the message that the promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Covenant is dominant (Luke 4.16; Acts 2.29-31 ). Still in the New Testament, Almighty God makes new promises as an extension of the saving work of Christ in which the faithful who sleep in the Lord will be resurrected and the bodies of those who remain alive will be transformed at the time of the Rapture of the Church ( 1 Thess 4.13-18 ). Therefore, we can affirm that the word "promise" refers to the act or effect of God committing Himself to someone in relation to something.
2. God is infallible. As we saw in the Bible reading in class, in Isaiah 55 , the Almighty God does not fail in His promises. This statement is based on His own incommunicable attributes, that is, we serve an Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent God. By incommunicable attributes we refer to attributes that no human being can have, only God. For example, human beings do not have all the power on earth, do not know all things, nor can they be in several places at the same time. The Almighty God has these capabilities as constituents of His own nature. Therefore, He does not fail and does not change. The prophet Isaiah confirms this truth by saying: "Even before there was a day, I am; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; when I work, who can stop it?" ( Isaiah 43:13 ).
3. God is zealous for His Word. As we saw in Isaiah 55 , the Word that comes from God has a specific purpose to fulfill (v. 11). Here, God's faithfulness is based, and therefore He guarantees the fulfillment of His promises as they are set forth in His powerful Word. There is a solemn declaration by the prophet Jeremiah regarding how God fulfills His Word: "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Jeremiah, what do you see?' And I said, 'I see an almond tree.' And the Lord said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it'" (Jer 1:11,12 ).
SUMMARY II
The "promise" refers to the act or effect of God promising something to someone else or to Himself.
THEOLOGICAL HELP
PROMISE
"Although it occasionally refers to the word of man, the characteristic use of the word 'promise' in Scripture relates to what God declares He will bring to pass. Although we may infer that the promises were made between the Father and the Son before creation, God's first great promise to men is in Genesis 3:15 and inaugurates a succession that, in increasing clarity of detail since its announcement, speaks of the coming of the Messiah Savior. A great variety of promises are more or less directly linked with this great central promise, including the new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34), the outpouring of the Spirit (Job 2:28ff.), the restoration of Israel (Deut. 30:1-5), and finally the new heaven and the new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22).
Paul demonstrates that the 'promise of God' has the quality of a covenant, because every word of God is sure and certain, free from legalism and dependence on man's effort. (e.g., Rom 4:13-16; Gal 3:16-18; cf. Heb 11:40). The technical term epangelia, therefore, designates God's gracious commitment, expressed especially to Abraham, to accomplish completely his work of redemption through the Messiah, in whom 'in him all the promises of God are yea, and through him Amen' (2 Cor 1:20)" (PFEIFFER, Charles F. et al. Wycliffe Bible Dictionary. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2006, p. 1611).
2. Conditional promises. Unlike unconditional promises, conditional promises depend on circumstances, time and human attitude to be fulfilled or not. Throughout the Bible, we find many conditional promises: Promises of full health to the Jewish people conditioned on obedience to divine ordinances ( Exodus 15:26 ); various promises also conditioned on the obedience of the people ( Deuteronomy 28:1 ); promises of receiving God's forgiveness conditioned on forgiving those who have offended us ( Matthew 6:14,15 ); promises of remaining in God's love if we keep Christ's commandments ( John 14:23 ; 15:10).
2. God is infallible. As we saw in the Bible reading in class, in Isaiah 55 , the Almighty God does not fail in His promises. This statement is based on His own incommunicable attributes, that is, we serve an Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent God. By incommunicable attributes we refer to attributes that no human being can have, only God. For example, human beings do not have all the power on earth, do not know all things, nor can they be in several places at the same time. The Almighty God has these capabilities as constituents of His own nature. Therefore, He does not fail and does not change. The prophet Isaiah confirms this truth by saying: "Even before there was a day, I am; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; when I work, who can stop it?" ( Isaiah 43:13 ).
3. God is zealous for His Word. As we saw in Isaiah 55 , the Word that comes from God has a specific purpose to fulfill (v. 11). Here, God's faithfulness is based, and therefore He guarantees the fulfillment of His promises as they are set forth in His powerful Word. There is a solemn declaration by the prophet Jeremiah regarding how God fulfills His Word: "The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Jeremiah, what do you see?' And I said, 'I see an almond tree.' And the Lord said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it'" (Jer 1:11,12 ).
SUMMARY II
The "promise" refers to the act or effect of God promising something to someone else or to Himself.
THEOLOGICAL HELP
PROMISE
"Although it occasionally refers to the word of man, the characteristic use of the word 'promise' in Scripture relates to what God declares He will bring to pass. Although we may infer that the promises were made between the Father and the Son before creation, God's first great promise to men is in Genesis 3:15 and inaugurates a succession that, in increasing clarity of detail since its announcement, speaks of the coming of the Messiah Savior. A great variety of promises are more or less directly linked with this great central promise, including the new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34), the outpouring of the Spirit (Job 2:28ff.), the restoration of Israel (Deut. 30:1-5), and finally the new heaven and the new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22).
Paul demonstrates that the 'promise of God' has the quality of a covenant, because every word of God is sure and certain, free from legalism and dependence on man's effort. (e.g., Rom 4:13-16; Gal 3:16-18; cf. Heb 11:40). The technical term epangelia, therefore, designates God's gracious commitment, expressed especially to Abraham, to accomplish completely his work of redemption through the Messiah, in whom 'in him all the promises of God are yea, and through him Amen' (2 Cor 1:20)" (PFEIFFER, Charles F. et al. Wycliffe Bible Dictionary. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2006, p. 1611).
III - TYPES AND PURPOSES OF GOD'S PROMISES
1. Unconditional promises. Unconditional promises are those that are independent of circumstances, time or the attitudes of the recipient. For example: the promise of the birth of Jesus from a virgin ( Isaiah 9:6 ); the place of Jesus' birth, in Bethlehem of Judea ( Micah 5:2 ); that Jesus would be called Immanuel, "God with us" ( Isaiah 7:14 ). There are also prophetic promises that have not yet been fulfilled, but that we absolutely await their fulfillment, such as: the promise of the resurrection of those saved in Christ and the transformation of the living, in the Rapture of the Church ( 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ); and many other prophecies that will be fulfilled, and are absolutely unconditional, because God is Faithful.2. Conditional promises. Unlike unconditional promises, conditional promises depend on circumstances, time and human attitude to be fulfilled or not. Throughout the Bible, we find many conditional promises: Promises of full health to the Jewish people conditioned on obedience to divine ordinances ( Exodus 15:26 ); various promises also conditioned on the obedience of the people ( Deuteronomy 28:1 ); promises of receiving God's forgiveness conditioned on forgiving those who have offended us ( Matthew 6:14,15 ); promises of remaining in God's love if we keep Christ's commandments ( John 14:23 ; 15:10).
3. The Purpose of God’s Promises. Throughout the Bible, we see different purposes for God to fulfill his promises. The first is for God to establish a covenant with mankind ( Gen 1:27-30 ; 2:16-17). The second is to reconsider the destiny of the human race, giving it another opportunity through a righteous man, Noah ( Gen 9:11-17 ). Another purpose would be to show the election of a people as part of his covenant with Abraham ( Gen 12:1-3 ; Ex 19:5-6). In addition to these, certainly one of the great purposes of God making promises, and fulfilling them, has to do with watching over his Word and deepening his relationship with us ( Isa 55:11,12 ). When we experience the fulfillment of God’s promises, we have the unshakable certainty that God has a relationship with us and, therefore, we are not alone in the world.
SYNOPSIS III
Throughout the Bible, God revealed different purposes for fulfilling His promises.
CONCLUSION
God is sovereign and watches over His Word. We learned that a promise is a commitment from God regarding something to someone. There are conditional and unconditional promises. We also saw that different purposes may be behind the fulfillment of His promises, but one of the most relevant is to strengthen our relationship with the Almighty God and to know that He relates to us, such limited human beings. May God teach us to trust in Him and to wait for the fulfillment of His precious promises!
REVIEWING THE CONTENT
1. Why does the Word of God not return to Him void?
The Word of God cannot return void because the Sovereign is zealous to fulfill it.
2. Regarding the promises, what is dominant in the New Testament?
In the New Testament, the message that the promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Covenant (Luke 4:16; Acts 2:29-31) is dominant.
3. What do we mean when we mention the word "promise"?
We can say that the word "promise" refers to the act or effect of God committing Himself to someone.
4. What are God's unconditional promises?
Unconditional promises are those that are independent of circumstances, time, or the recipient's attitudes.
5. What are God's conditional promises?
Unlike unconditional promises, conditional promises depend on circumstances, time, and human attitudes to be fulfilled or not.
SYNOPSIS III
Throughout the Bible, God revealed different purposes for fulfilling His promises.
CONCLUSION
God is sovereign and watches over His Word. We learned that a promise is a commitment from God regarding something to someone. There are conditional and unconditional promises. We also saw that different purposes may be behind the fulfillment of His promises, but one of the most relevant is to strengthen our relationship with the Almighty God and to know that He relates to us, such limited human beings. May God teach us to trust in Him and to wait for the fulfillment of His precious promises!
REVIEWING THE CONTENT
1. Why does the Word of God not return to Him void?
The Word of God cannot return void because the Sovereign is zealous to fulfill it.
2. Regarding the promises, what is dominant in the New Testament?
In the New Testament, the message that the promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Covenant (Luke 4:16; Acts 2:29-31) is dominant.
3. What do we mean when we mention the word "promise"?
We can say that the word "promise" refers to the act or effect of God committing Himself to someone.
4. What are God's unconditional promises?
Unconditional promises are those that are independent of circumstances, time, or the recipient's attitudes.
5. What are God's conditional promises?
Unlike unconditional promises, conditional promises depend on circumstances, time, and human attitudes to be fulfilled or not.