by

Steve Braswell, Frank Hamrick, and Kraig Keck

Clay To Conquest: The Faith of Eight

Copyright © 1997 by Positive Action For Christ, Inc., P.O. Box 1948, 833 Falls Road, Rocky Mount, NC 27802–1948. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced in any manner without permission in writing from the publisher.

Some original outlines for this study were provided by Dr. Wayne Haston, Chairman of the Department of Christian Education at Temple Baptist Seminary.

First edition published 1997Second edition published 2003

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN:0-9719491-5-8

Edited by Ben WrightCover design, layout, and maps by Shannon Brown

Published by

Table of Contents

Adam

Chapter 1 Molecules, Monkeys, And Men . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 2 The Dawn Of Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Chapter 3 Sin Does Pay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Chapter 4 A Tale Of Three Brothers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Noah

Chapter 5 Prelude To A Storm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Chapter 6 How Big Was The Flood? . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Chapter 7 The Tower Of Babel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Abraham

Chapter 8 The Idolater Who Became A Believer . . . 36

Chapter 9 God’s Covenant With Abraham. . . . . . . . 41

Isaac

Chapter 10 The Nobody Who Became Somebody . . . 46(Part 1)

Chapter 11 The Nobody Who Became Somebody . . . 50(Part 2)

Jacob

Chapter 12 The Zero Who Became A Hero (Part 1) . . 54

Chapter 13 The Zero Who Became A Hero (Part 2) . . 59

Joseph

Chapter 14 The Beloved Son . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Chapter 15 The Rejected Servant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Chapter 16 The Exalted Sovereign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Moses

Chapter 17 The Palace And The Desert . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Chapter 18 How Much Proof Do You Need? . . . . . . . 80

Chapter 19 “Pack Your Bags And Go!”. . . . . . . . . . . 85

Chapter 20 Quick To Turn Away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Chapter 21 The Sad End Of A Good Man . . . . . . . . . 93

Joshua

Chapter 22 New Kid On The Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Chapter 23 The Big Day Is Here! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Chapter 24 Victory...Then Defeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Chapter 25 Victory...Then Deceit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Chapter 26 The Seven–Year War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Chapter 27 Dividing The Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Chapter 28 The General’s Last Charge . 123Chapter 29The Second–Generation Stall . . . . . . . . 128

Chapter 30 The Great Eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S | 3

4 | P R E F A C E

Preface

Baseball suffered a black eye in the 1919 World Series when eight men on the Chicago

White Sox intentionally threw the best of nine series against the Cincinnati Reds.

“Shoeless” Joe Jackson, who always maintained his innocence, and seven teammates

were expelled permanently from baseball for plotting with gambling interests to “fi x”

the series. This was not the fi rst time baseball games had been thrown, but since this

was the World Series, it was the ultimate corruption for the sport. America became a

more cynical country, and we’ve never been able to regain our innocence.

Since then, our nation has become a wasteland of bogus heroes. We are used to

the on–fi eld and off–fi eld antics of our sports idols. We’ve grown up hearing the

behavior of spoiled heroes being excused or worse, justifi ed. The media pumps up

sports or entertainment “gods,” only to tear them down when we fi nd out their

character fl aws. Selfi sh brats who are overpaid and underworked are the only heroes

we can fi nd. Where are the true champions?

Every teenager needs a model, and Clay To Conquest presents eight candidates for Clay To Conquest presents eight candidates for Clay To Conquest

us to imitate. These men had exhilarating highs and depressing lows—they weren’t

perfect, but they weren’t artifi cial either. They struggled and sometimes failed, but

they continued to serve God no matter what those around them were doing. We will

look at these familiar stories with a new perspective and gain some exciting insights

into God’s Word.

This study has been written to make the lives of these eight men come alive. As we

study Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Joshua, we will gain

an appreciation for their faith in God and be challenged by their relationship with

God.

Our prayer for this study is that you will fi nd some heroes who are worthy of your

admiration and respect because they lived for God.

10 | C H A P T E R T W O

Chapter 2The Dawn of Sin

Adam and Eve did not live in a perfect environment for long. This lesson catalogs

the disgusting descent of man into sin. All wars, death, famine, and disease have their

source in the fall of man. As you study this lesson, consider the effects of rebellion.

In This Lesson We Will Learn:

• The difference between a test and a temptation

• The steps in yielding to sin

Why Temptation Is Tempting

Temptation is the fi rst segment of the road that leads to sin. The temptation itself is

not the sin, but it is certainly the door that leads to sin. If man were never tempted,

he would never sin.

Because Of The ________________Of Temptation

Notice what James says about this: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away

of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:14). In other words, lust is already present in

his heart before a man can be tempted. It is more than someone trying to entice you

to do wrong. The desire must already be in the heart before the enticement becomes

temptation.

Now let’s summarize what we have learned so far about temptation.

1. Temptation begins with an ____________________________________to do evil. (This might properly be called a test.)

2. The test becomes tempting only when there is an ___________________to do the evil we are being enticed to do.

3. Without the inward desire, temptation is only a ____________________

4. With the inward desire, the test becomes a ________________________

Because Of Satan’s Subtlety1. He _______________________ God’s Word (Genesis 3:1).

What were his fi rst words to Eve? “Yea, hath God said...?” The fi rst thing Satan did was try to put a doubt in her mind concerning the truthfulness and trustworthiness of God’s word.

2. He _______________________ God’s Word (Genesis 3:4).

Next, Satan boldly challenged God’s word by saying, “Ye shall not surely die.”

3. He _____________________God’s motives (Genesis 3:5).

He told her that knowing good and evil was the only difference between her and God.

Because of Man’s __________________________

Satan’s tests became temptations to Eve because she was weak at three specifi c points. These same three avenues of temptation are also mentioned in 1 John 2:16: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the fl esh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

Three Avenues of Temptation

1 John 2:16 Satan Tempts Eve (Gen. 3) Satan Tempts Christ (Matt. 4)

The lust of the fl esh Turn these stones to bread.

The lust of the eyesI will give You all things if You will fall

down and worship me.

The pride of life .If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself

down from the top of the temple.

T H E D A W N O F S I N | 11

12 | C H A P T E R T W O

Yielding to Temptation

It is sad that we close our study of this passage with the account of Eve’s yielding to the temptations of Satan.

Step #1— _________________________________

Our eyes get us into trouble more often than any of our other senses. This is why God has commanded us, “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee” (Proverbs 4:25).

Step #2— _________________________________

We get involved in sin by degrees. First, we start looking at things that are wrong. Then we begin to examine them more closely.

Step #3— _________________________________

Satan deals with us in the same way. If he can get us to start looking at the world, he can then get us to start “taking” (that is, playing with, toying with, and joking around about) that which is evil. He is then well on his way to breaking down our inhibitions and substituting a deep–seated desire to do that which is wrong.

Step #4— _________________________________

One of the sad things about sin in a person’s life is that it does affect others. Often, teens don’t realize that sin never hurts only the guilty party. It always affects others—and God holds us responsible not only for our sin, but also for all those who are infl uenced by our sin to do the same thing or something even worse.

ChallengeWhat about you? Are you constantly yielding to Satan’s temptations What about you? Are you constantly yielding to Satan’s temptations because you have never learned to fl ee youthful lusts? It is never because you have never learned to fl ee youthful lusts? It is never cowardly to run from sin. Remove yourself from the places where cowardly to run from sin. Remove yourself from the places where you know you will be tempted. Stop “looking” and “taking.” If you know you will be tempted. Stop “looking” and “taking.” If

you will do these things, you will fi nd that you will gain more and more victories over you will do these things, you will fi nd that you will gain more and more victories over the temptations of the Evil One.

At–Home Work

Level One And Level Two

This lesson focused on how we are tempted to sin. We face some of Satan’s temptations everyday. Let’s look closer at this subject. Read the verses listed below and write the reference next to the statement that best explains it.

A. Proverbs 4:14–15 B. Galatians 6:1 C. James 1:13

D. Matthew 4:1–11 E. 1 Thessalonians 3:5 F. James 4:7

G. Romans 14:13 H. 1 Timothy 6:9–10 I. 1 Peter 5:8

J. 1 Corinthians 10:13 K. Hebrews 4:15 L. 2 Peter 2:9

Temptation to sin does not come from God.

One source of temptation is the desire to be rich.

Satan is often the author of temptation.

God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear.

Christ used the Word of God and was victorious over all of Satan’s temptations.

Christ can sympathize with us because He faced the same temptations we do.

God knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations.

We can make Satan fl ee by submitting to God and resisting the Devil.

We need to be constantly on guard against Satan, our adversary.

We should not be the reason for someone else being tempted to sin.

We should seek to restore those who have yielded to temptation.

The best way to keep from yielding to temptation is to avoid it in the fi rst place.

T H E D A W N O F S I N | 13

46 | C H A P T E R T E N

Chapter 10The Nobody Who Became Somebody

(Part 1)

By reading Genesis, you may think that Isaac was simply a “middle man” bridging the gap between Abraham, the father of many nations, and Jacob, the first Jew. Yet this “middle man,” this man who may have seemed to be a nobody and who is often overlooked, had special qualities that today’s teens should admire and adopt for themselves.

In This Lesson We Will Learn:

• How Isaac displayed his great faith in God• The importance of choosing the right mate• Why Isaac played favorites with his sons

Isaac’s ____________________________________________

Notice how Genesis 21:1–2 emphasizes God’s faithfulness to His promise. What words or phrases draw attention to this fact? _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Isaac was born when Abraham was ____________ and Sarah _______________ .

46 | C H A P T E R T E N

Lesson: God had a ____________________________________for you before you were born.

The Mount _________________ Experience (Gen. 22:1–14)

This was one of the greatest events in history. God told Abraham to take his son, the

long–awaited answer to God’s covenant with Abraham, and offer him as a sacrifice

on Mount Moriah. And Abraham passed this test of faith with flying colors! He

never hesitated.

Lesson: You need to have ___________________________________ in your heavenly Father.

Isaac’s _______________________________ (Gen. 24:1–67)

Isaac was ______ years old when he married ___________________________ .

Check List For Choosing A Life’s Mate

1. Willing to ___________________________________________________ (24:13–14).

2. ________________________________ and __________________________ (24:16).

Her virginity and the importance she placed on moral purity were among the

facts Scripture highlights in its description of Rebekah.

3. ______________________________________________________________ (24:16).

4. Sincerely _______________________________________ the same God (24:29, 31).

5. Chosen through the leadership of the _______________________________ (24:48).

6. ____________________________________________________ in dress (24:63–65).

7. Shows ________________________________________________________ (24:67).

All of these points (except love) should be true before you ever date a person, and all

of them (including love) should be true before you marry a person.

Lesson: You must be willing to ____________________________for God’s choice for a mate.

T H E N O B O D Y W H O B E C A M E S O M E B O D Y ( P A R T 1 ) | 47

48 | C H A P T E R T E N

The ____________________ of Isaac’s sons (Gen. 25:19–26)

The next major event in Isaac’s life was the birth of his twin sons Esau, the older, and Jacob, the younger. According to Genesis 25:26, Isaac was sixty years old when these two boys were born.

Lesson: Don’t play _____________________________________as a friend, parent, or child.

If you feel that you are the least favored in your family, do not be discouraged. God seems to delight in choosing the one everyone else overlooks to accomplish His greatest work!

ChallengeDo you sometimes feel that you are a nobody? Do you feel that your parents neglect you? Do you feel that you are an outcast at school, rejected by all the other kids? If so, perhaps you have some of the same feelings that Isaac might have faced. Believe it or not,

God loves you. He is concerned about the things that concern you. The greatest demonstration of God’s love was seen on Calvary.

48 | C H A P T E R T E N

At–Home Work

Level One And Level Two

We are reminded again through the birth of Isaac that God keeps His promises. Match the reference with the phrase that best describes it.

1. Romans 4:20 A. God is not like men because men lie.

2. Titus 1:2 B. Every one of God’s promises to Moses came true.

3. Numbers 23:19 C. God does not change.

4. 2 Peter 3:9 D. Jesus was the fulfillment of a promise of God.

5. Hebrews 6:18 E. Abraham didn’t stagger at God’s promises.

6. 1 Kings 8:56 F. God is faithful whether we are or not.

7. 2 Timothy 2:13 G. Eternal life is assured because God cannot lie.

8. Malachi 3:6 H. It is impossible for God to lie.

9. 1 John 2:25 I. God is not slack with His promises.

10. Acts 13:23 J. We have been promised eternal life.

T H E N O B O D Y W H O B E C A M E S O M E B O D Y ( P A R T 1 ) | 49