The Patriarchs 1

About this course

For this course of study we have chosen four men of God, Adam, Enoch, Noah and Abraham. Two of these men (Adam and Enoch) lived in the pre-flood period. Noah's life bridged the period before and following the flood, Abraham was born in the post flood period. The biblical narrative of their lives gives us insight and understanding into the hope and faith we can have in our time. Their lives like ours were not perfect. We see in them great moments of faith, but also moments of weakness and failure. Yet God worked through them both to will and to do His good pleasure. God developed faith in these men that gives us a scriptural record of how having hope and faith in God will cause us to overcome in our own journey through this life.Isaiah 51:1, "hearken to me, you that follow after righteousness, you that seek the lord: look unto the rock from whence you are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug."Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and ;et us run with endurance the race that is set before us."Some believers are less inclined to pursue teaching from the Old Testament, as they consider only New Testament teachings applicable to them. this is a limiting attitude toward the word of God. The Apostle Paul stated this to Timothy whom he mentored:2nd Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness." Paul writing on the righteousness that is by faith in Romans 4 states that  this righteousness which is by faith was not only for Abraham, but for us as well.Romans 4:23-24, " Now it was not written for his (Abraham's) sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who God raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead."In a way, the New Testament is like the final book of the Old Testam