This week we are focusing on the importance of the Trinity as we look at Jesus in the Old Testament, along with our regular study in Genesis chapter 32. As Christians we believe in the historical narrative of God’s Covenant Promise being passed from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob, and then his descendants specifically. This Covenant is the unfolding of the Genesis 3 Promise, and as we study we will see that the promise of a Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus, was there in the beginning, and can be found all throughout the Old Testament, connecting to the reason we have for sharing the Gospel Message today!
This study will help us understand the history and importance of not only the faithfulness of God through His Covenant Promise, but the love He has for His people as seen in His sovereignty over all things! We can take comfort in the fact that God never makes a mistake, and all things work together for good, for those who trust in Him! Defending our faith and developing a Biblical worldview based on our understanding of God’s Word takes time and practice, and must be part of a lifetime commitment we make to the LORD. It should form our purpose and identity in everyday life as we grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, modeling Him to our family, friends and neighbors.
As Christians, it is more important than ever to know what we believe, and why we believe it, and then apply that to who we are on a consistent basis, and this can only be done if we know Jesus and what His Word teaches. All class sessions include a time for prayer and reflection, a presentation, and a Bible study section. You will find the presentation overview and Bible study questions below, with basic answers for your review and, or to use as a leader’s guide.
Watch this week’s presentation:
Presentation
Foundations Bible study
Genesis chapter 32 and An Introduction to the Trinity
Introduction and Review
Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card provided, and add any special prayer request you might have. Exchange cards at the end of the class.
Review of Focus Verses:
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT Goes FROM Isaac TO JACOB
12 He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. 14 Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Genesis 28:(12)13-14 (15) NASB
Three Parts of the Covenant:
- Land
- Nation
- Blessing – The Seed Promise: Jesus is the Blessing to come!
The Importance of Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament
- Jesus is God, the second person of the Trinity: The focus of the entire Bible is Jesus, and He is there from the very beginning (Genesis 1:1-3; John 1:1-5 and 15-18; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-14; Revelation 1:8).
- Jesus is the Covenant Promise Fulfilled: Genesis 3:15 begins this promise of salvation from the sin nature born at the “Fall” – and the unfolding of that promise is seen throughout the Old Testament, all pointing to the fulfillment by Jesus in the New Testament.
- Prophecies: Over 300 specific and incidental predictions are given by various people, in various circumstances and in various places throughout the Old Testament narrative, ultimately fulfilled in, and by, Jesus.
- Foreshadowing: A person, thing, event or teaching that pictures a part of what Jesus would do, or who He would be as seen in the New Testament Narratives of His life, ministry, death and resurrection that show fulfillment of all that was proclaimed before His time.
- Christophany: A pre-incarnate appearance of the second person (Jesus) in the Trinity (for example: Genesis 12:7-9; 16:7-14; 18:1-33; 22:11-18; 32:22-30; Exodus 24:9-11; 31:14-15; Joshua 5:13-15).
The Trinity
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God…
God = The Hebrew word used here is the noun Elohim, which is plural (three or more)
It is a term that denotes majesty and all-power within
The verb (action) Elohim is singular when used with the word bara (create/created from nothing—bara is only used in the act of creation)
This is the normal usage when referenced in the Old Testament for the one true God
Elohim indicates the Trinity working together from the very beginning and the active participation of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in creation, from the beginning
The Trinity
One in Being: God
Three in Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Biblical names give us a glimpse into God’s character:
Elohim = God, The Triune All-Powerful Creator of the Universe (Genesis chapter 1)
YHWH (LORD) = The “I AM,” the LORD, the personal God of the Bible who loves and interacts with His creation (Genesis chapter 2)
LORD God = YHWH Elohim (personal and powerful)
There is one God
Examples from Scripture:
Deuteronomy 6:4 (THE SHEMA)
1 Corinthians 8:4
Galatians 3:20
1 Timothy 2:5
Each Member of the Trinity is God
Examples from Scripture:
The Father is God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2)
The Son is God (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20)
The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16)
The Members of the Trinity are distinguished from one another
In the Old Testament, “LORD” is distinguished from “Lord” (Genesis 19:24; Hosea 1:4)
The LORD has a Son (Psalm 2:7, 12; Proverbs 30:2-4)
The Spirit is distinguished from the “LORD” (Numbers 27:18) and from “God” (Psalm 51:10-12)
God the Son is distinguished from God the Father (Psalm 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:8-9)
*In the New Testament, Jesus speaks to the Father about sending a Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17)
*This shows that Jesus did not consider Himself to be the Father or the Holy Spirit
The Person of the Father
…is the Authority, Perfect in Holiness,
Receiver of Worship in Heaven
The Father:
He is the ultimate source or cause of the universe (1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11); divine revelation (Revelation 1:1); salvation (John 3:16-17); and Jesus’ human works (John 5:17; 14:10)
We pray to the Father through Jesus (Matthew 6:9-13; John 14)
The Father initiates all things
The Person of the Son
…is the Redeemer, Source of life for humans, Intercessor with the Father
Jesus The Son:
The agent through which the creation happened and through which it is maintained (1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17)
The agent of Divine revelation (John 1:1, 16:12-15; Matthew 11:27; Revelation 1:1)
The agent of Salvation (2 Corinthians 5:19; Matthew 1:21; John 4:42)
The agent of prayer (John 14)
The Father does all these things through the Son, who functions as His agent
The Person of the Holy Spirit
…is the Counselor, Comforter,
Agent of the Father’s Will
The Holy Spirit:
The power behind the creation and maintenance of the universe (Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Psalm 104:30);
The power of Divine revelation (John 16:12-15; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21);
The power of Salvation (John 3:6; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2)
The power through which Jesus works (Isaiah 61:1; Acts 10:38).
The Father does all these things by the power of the Holy Spirit
Conclusion to the topic of Trinity
The Trinity is not a problem for Christians it is a solution to what is taught in Scripture.
For our finite minds created by an infinite God cannot, nor should not, be able to comprehend His entire being, yet He has given us a way to know Him personally, and that is through His Son, Jesus.
And, Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us through the Scriptures, and to guide us during our time here on this earth.
The Importance of Bible Study
Practicing Hermeneutics
HOMEWORK REVIEW
Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context
– What does it say?
Chapter 32
Jacob Fears Esau
1-8
9-16
17-21
Jacob Wrestles with God
22-27
28-32
Discuss (summarize)…
(Genesis 32:1-32) In this chapter, Jacob is on his way home, but he fears his brother Esau’s reception. What did Jacob do to appease his brother Esau before he got there?
Jacob prepares to meet Esau:
First, he sent messengers ahead to inform Esau he was coming, and to show him that he had his own animals, flocks, servants etc. (this was probably to let Esau know that he didn’t come to take anything from him).
The messengers returned saying that Esau was coming, and with 400 men – this of course frightened Jacob.
Jacob then divided the people into two companies in order to save one if the other was attacked.
THEN FINALLY, JACOB PRAYED TO GOD, which he should have done first (notice he still said “O God of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac”), but this is a turning point for Jacob, because now he is coming to God, instead of God coming to him.
He then sent gifts to Esau, in waves, so that each time something new was given to him, and he put a space between these waves of people and gifts – lastly, he also did this with his wives and children, of course sending Rachel last – all of this in hopes that Esau would not kill him or his family.
Going Deeper: Who did Jacob wrestle with, what was the outcome, and why was this important?
Jacob wrestles with God:
Jacob wrestled with a “man” and we know from Scripture that human appearances of God are always the pre-incarnate Jesus known as a Christophany.
Evidence for the Christophany is in verses 28-30 where the man says “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” This man blessed him, and Jacob named the place “Peniel” for he said, “I have seen God face to face.”
The people of Israel later institute the tradition of not eating the sinew of the hip, which is on the socket of the thigh, because God touched the socket of Jacob’s hip there.
God gave Jacob the name Israel: “Struggle with God,” or “he struggles with God,” and as we will see throughout the upcoming history of the nation of Israel, they will constantly struggle with God.
Jacob prevailed in the sense that he became a believer in God and from here on out would trust God as the one and only God (and not part of the Pagan religions around him, like Laban’s).
God reaffirms his name change again in chapter 35 when he also reconfirms the covenant promise made to his fathers, Abraham and Isaac (and this includes the seed promise).
The Abrahamic Covenant would continue to unfold as the nation and land promise was now Jacob’s and would play out through his sons, especially Judah, in future time.
Step #5: Application for chapters 32
–How do I use what I have learned/What is God teaching me/Where do I see Jesus?
Answers will vary…
Jacob wrestled with Jesus:
32:22 Jacob wrestled with a man (Jesus)
32:30 Jacob said, “For I have seen God face to face…”
HOMEWORK
Read Chapters 33 and 34 for step #3: context
Going Deeper Questions for Step #4: Interpretation
1.(Genesis 33:1-20) In this chapter Jacob finally reunites with Esau. What did Jacob do when he saw Esau coming and how did Esau respond to what Jacob did?
2.Discuss: Do you think Jacob was wise in the way he handled this encounter, why or why not?
3.(Genesis 34:1-31) This chapter tells a side story about Jacob’s daughter Dinah, the people of Shechem and some of her brothers. What happened to Dinah and how did Jacob’s sons respond to the request by Shechem’s father?
4.Going Deeper: Who were the two sons of Jacob that were responsible for this, what did their father Jacob say to them and how might this affect them in the future?
Step #5: Application for chapters 33-34 – How do I use what I have learned/What is God teaching me/Where do I see Jesus?
Please continue to join us each week as we study about, and through, God’s Word!
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Teri Dugan
TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com
1 Peter 3:15