The Trinity In The Life of Abraham

Intro: Theory is great, but sometimes seeing examples is more helpful. If you search pythagoras theory, you can get a website showing the mathematical formula. However, there are other websites that can give you the equation, and proof, and examples, and applications.

Today we want to look at the life of Abraham as we conclude our study of the Trinity.

Theme: The life of Abraham has the examples and the application of this important theological stance.

The Call of Abram

Genesis 12:1–3 NKJV

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

This is the plan of The Lord - Yahweh.

Remember the plan and the judgment are the Father’s role.

I believe it is God the Father who:

Directs people to new locations

Makes some people greater through blessings

Brings some down who are against His plans

Has the plan of redemption. He planned before creation, continued towards the next step from the time of the fall, and through the incarnation of Christ and on to eternity with His people as the bride of His Son.

The Spirit guides.

Gen 12.5-6 show how Abram went out not knowing, but trusting God.

Hebrews 11:8 NKJV

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

From Haran to Shechem was a journey of about 650 Kilometres. Grafton or Coffs Harbour from here

Since the plan belongs to the Father and the guiding belongs to the Spirit,

The implementation belongs to the Son.

Genesis 12:7 (NKJV)

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

Again, the Son is the only one who appears, who puts on bodily form to make things happen.

God in Abraham’s life

God plagued/afflicted

Genesis 12:17 (NKJV)

‌But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues ...

God gives an inheritance

Gen13.14-18, Gen 15.18, Gen 17.8, Gen 21.18, Gen 22.17,

Genesis 15:18 NKJV

On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Also 1Pt 1.4

God is Most High

Gen 14.18-24 introduces the King of Salem - Melchizedek - who is a forerunner of Christ according to Hebrews 5.

Genesis 14:19–20 (NKJV)

Melchizedek blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, …

God is our Shield 15.1

A favourite of King David throughout the Psalms

God our exceedingly great reward 15.1

Jesus picks up this durning the Sermon On The Mount. The Apostle Paul also makes a big deal of it.

God our Righteousness 15.6

Jeremiah brings this up over and over. The Apostle Paul also writes about this in 1 Cor.

James 2:23 NKJV

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

God is Judge 15.14; 18.25; 19.14; 19.24-29

An important role of the Father in the Trinity.

God of the Covenant 15.5,18; 16.5; 17.2-7; 17.9-21

An important role of the Son in the Trinity.

God Who Sees - El Roi 16.13

All 3 of persons of the Godhead have this attribute.

God Almighty - El Shaddai 17.1

The All-Sufficient-One

God who provides children 17.15

The Spirit blessed Sarah with a child when her body was no longer capable.

Psalm 127:3 NKJV

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus was the ultimate example of the Spirit’s involvement in gifting children.

God is Healer 20.17

The Everlasting God - El Olam 21.33

The Lord Who Will Provide - Yahweh Yireh 22.14

The Lord God of Heaven - Yahweh Elohe Hasamayim 14.22; 24.3,7;

The Angel of the Lord

When God appeared to Abram it was as the Angel of the Lord - Jesus in pre-incarnate form. 12.7 15.5; 17.1; 18.1

Genesis 12:7 (NKJV)

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

We also see The Angel of The Lord twice talking with Hagar in 16.7-11 and again in 21.17

Never get sucked into the lie that God only works with the people we want Him to save.

The Angel of the Lord stopped Abraham at the last second from offering Issac his son. 22.11-18

Genesis 22:11–12 NKJV

But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

Since this is a call from heaven and not a visible appearance, that tells me Abraham knew Him well enough to recognise His voice.

In the Sodom narrative we see the Angel of the Lord, with a couple other angels who spend time with Abraham.

(Like a friend spending time with a friend.) When the angels travel on to the city, our pre-incarnate Lord lingers on to talk with Abraham about what will happen so that Abrahams descendants would follow the Lord and His ways.

Genesis 18:16–22 (NKJV)

Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, … Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.

The pre-incarnate Son was merciful to tell Abraham what He was doing. He even let Abraham intercede over the number of righteous there. Of course, God, who knows the hearts of all people, already knew how many people were to be saved.

God the Father judged from heaven the sinful cities.

Genesis 19:24–25 (NKJV)

Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

Conclusion: God is one, eternally existent in three personages - Father - Spirit - Son.

God always acts in accordance with His nature and attributes. He is indivisible, and yet each personage has it’s own role to play in all He does.

Q1 Will we let God be God in our lives?

Q2 Many more examples abound of the Trinity, but we must embrace it by faith. Will we have the faith of Abraham?

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