Lesson 4

Before we were even created, God had already developed a plan for saving us from sin. The plan culminated in the death of Jesus on the cross, but it actually began much earlier. We begin to watch it unfold all the way back in Genesis 12, when God chose Abraham and Sarah to be the founders of a brand new nation.

God’s plan of salvation takes years to develop. It involves many people and events and takes several twists and turns. It was a very costly and time-consuming process for God. He invested a great amount of time and thought, heartache and energy, and then ultimately the death of His Son to save us from sin.

Read 1 Peter 1:18–20. When did God develop the plan of salvation?

God’s Plan of Salvation

Read 1 Peter 1:13–22. That passage lists several things God wanted to accomplish through Jesus.

God’s plan in a nutshell has two primary functions. The first is to free us from the punishment of sin, and the second is to teach us how to be holy again.

To accomplish this, God needed first to create His own nation to add to the world. He would create it through His miraculous power, leaving no doubt it originated from Him. Once He built them up, He would get the world’s attention on them so that everyone could observe what it means to be God’s people. He would then give this nation His rules and teach them how to be holy. He would show through them how to achieve forgiveness and draw near to God. Once the lessons were learned, God would then send to earth the sacrifice that would free men from their sins. All men would then be free to join His nation and forever be His kingdom and His children.

The Beginning of God’s Plan in Genesis

Abraham is chosen. Read Genesis 12:1–3. What promises did God make to Abraham? Read Romans 4:18–20. Why was it a miracle that God created a nation from Abraham and Sarah?

Abraham is given a child. What was the name of Abraham’s son (Genesis 21:3)? And his grandsons (Genesis 25:24–28)? God later changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Jacob had twelve sons; their descendants were known as the twelve tribes of Israel. How many people made up the nation of Israel by the end of Genesis (Genesis 46:27)?

Abraham’s descendants go to Egypt. Joseph, Abraham’s great-grandson, says God sent them to Egypt to spare their lives from a famine (Genesis 50:20). Egypt alone had enough food. But there was also another benefit: Israelites were detested by Egypt (Genesis 46:34). That would keep the nation of Israel pure—they would not intermarry with Egyptians and lose their identity as Israel.