Thursday Night Bible Study

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Genesis 12:1-4 

"Prime Number 1" • 1.21.10 • Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro.

- We looked last week at the introduction to the family life of Abram. For our purposes this week, we'll take a moment and reconsider some of what we learned.

- First, Abram comes from an idolatrous family. Joshua 24 informs us that Abram's family served idols. Legend has it that they actually profited from idol manufacturing.

- Second, Abram lived through personal tragedy. While living in Ur of the Chaldees, Abram's brother Haran "died before his Father."

- The language seems to indicate that Haran was executed in front of his father.

- Third, Abram was living with difficult personal issues. Abram's wife Sarai was barren and could not have children. To the ancient near easterners, this was viewed as a curse from the gods.

- Abram's name meant "Exalted Father" which was an ironic cruel blow.

- Fourth, Abram dealt with the loss of his Father. Terah died in the city of Haran.

- At this point, it's important to make note of a comment that is made in the New Testament by a the first Christian martyr Stephen.

- Turn over to Acts 7. Stephen is about to begin his defense against the religious leaders and he does so by citing the history of the Jewish people, beginning with the set of scriptures before us.

• Acts 7:2-4 : "And he said, 'Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.' Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell."

- God had spoken to Abram sometime before he began his trek made his trek. Perhaps God even allowed these circumstances to prompt Abram's obedience.

- There was a call from the Lord to a man just like ourselves. And like ourselves, Abram delayed his obedience for one reason or another.

- Now, in chapter 12, Moses recounts for us the call that was standing over Abram's life. Our working outline will look like this:

I. Abram's Call (v.1)

II. God's Promise (v.2,3)

III. Abram's Compromise (v.4)

Text

I. Abram's Call (v.1)

• Genesis 12:1 : "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." : He "had" said this. It's not clear if Moses is making reference to the initial call or if it was repeated in Haran. Perhaps both are true.

- How long had Abram been sitting on this word from the Lord? Could it have been years? Decades? We are aware that there was a delay, but that's all.

- Abram had been told by the Lord to get out of his country. Literally, out of the place of your birth. His native land was Ur of the Chaldees.

- We are prone to think that these cities that Abram came from were primitive imps that got excited about making a fire! However, the exact opposite was true.

- From engineering to mathematics, the people of Ur were incredibly advanced.

- I heard a story last week of the discovery of a calculus problem found in Ur that was complicated enough to baffle current math scholars! As far as I know, it remains unsolved.

- Ur was a highly advanced metropolis but was founded by Nimrod, who actively resisted God.

- Abram, get out of your birthplace, a place that was openly hostile toward God. Ur was not a place that faith in God could be practiced and grown.

- Neither was Terah's house. Terah was an idolator. His allegiance was with his idols. He was the leader and his family followed his lead. That is what is referred to by his Father's house.

- There was no spiritual refuge in his brothers. They were unbelievers as well.

- What God was going to do in Abram could not be done while he lived under their influence.

- God is calling Him out from all that he has identified himself with.

- Principally, this is the first tenet of our faith. It begins with an act of obedience to follow God's invitation out from influence that keeps us from being fully obedient to Him.

- Think about the original hearers, the children of Israel. They were understanding that they were the fulfillment of this promise made to Abram.

- They would see the physical land of Canaan and it would be theirs. They too had come out of Egypt in the same way that Abram had come out of Ur.

- In Abram's and Israel's case, this was a physical departure from a physical land. Our departure might not be physical, but emotional.

- Each person who follows the Lord will have left something to follow Jesus, whether it be a locality, a philosophy, a relationship or a profession.

- Abram was called to leave country and family. The disciples were called to leave their professions. Many other examples can be cited.

- What things are we tied to that might prevent us from walking forward in the things of the Lord? What relationships or influences has God said no longer facilitate His work?

- It will always be uncomfortable, it might be painful, but in the economy of God, it's worth it!

- The next part of this word from the Lord is thick with implication. God calls Abram out of the comfortable and into the unknown. Abram is going to a land, but God is the one that will show him.

- God does not give him a map. He does not tell him which direction it will lay in. He says, "I will show you." That means that Abram's job was to follow the Lord's direction.

- It was incremental. One step at a time. The goal is not to know where you are going, but to know who is leading you!

- The point is relationship and from this vantage point, the relationship is well defined. God is the director, the leader, the initiator. We are the directed, the lead and the responders.

- God wants us to trust Him and follow Him into all that He desires.

- This is the most difficult part of all. Will we trust Him to lead us? Will we surrender ourselves to His will?

II. God's Promise (v.2,3)

• Genesis 12:2,3 : "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.'" : These verses delineate God's portion of this relationship. He will make Abram a great nation. His family, his tribe would turn into a nation of people.

- A nation like the nations that we have studied, but founded on faith. Founded on the principle of this relationship between the faithful and the Lord.

- God's promise for his future is secure. Before Abram can say, "What about me?," God replies, "I will bless you."

- We have seen this several times in the book of Genesis. God told Adam and Eve that He was going to bless them. Noah was told that he would be blessed.

- God is a God that wants to bless His people. He wants to bless those who respond to Him.

- We have mentioned before that blessings refers to power in relation to that which is commanded. Following God in any endeavor requires His blessing for us to succeed.

- The result will be significance. Abram will go out and make an impact. His name will be great. There are few greater names than Abraham.

- Among Christians, he is the Father of those who walk in faith. To the Jews and the Arab, he is counted as their physical Father.

- His name will be great and he shall be a blessing. To those who encountered Abram, the blessing that God gave to him would funnel out towards those around him.

- Abram's nation would add strength, wisdom, and joy to nations around them.

- The future and the present are covered. God will give a future, significance and purpose. Now, He promises protection. I will bless those who bless you.

- For those who would come to Abram in friendship and partnership, God would reward these with His blessing. They would receive a portion of God's blessing, just for blessing Abram.

- At the same time, there is a promise of cursing. For those who will fight against or seek to take advantage of Abram, these would receive the disfavor of God.

- God is making a covenant that makes complete sense to those who are hearing this. When you enter into a covenant with someone, their friends are your friends.

- Consequently, their enemies are your enemies. God is saying that His resource, His goodness, His graciousness is available to those who would love Abram.

- At the same time, His power, strength and retributive wrath work for protection.

- "In you," the seed of descendancy, lies the promise of blessings to every family on earth.

- In the course of time, the Hebrew nation gave much to further the knowledge of the true God to all the nations of the earth. Turn with me to Romans 3. Paul writes this to the Roman believers.

• Romans 3:1,2 : "What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God."

- Because of the Jewish people, we have the law and the prophets, meticulously preserved.

- Ultimately, this refers prophetically to the ultimate seed, Jesus Christ, who was a direct descendant of Abram.

- But what does that mean? Not every family is submitted to Christ. Not every family knows of Christ on the earth. There are some on the earth that have not yet heard the name of Christ.

- This speaks to the benefit that believers have on the lives of unbelievers. As we have seen, for the sake of righteous Noah, God has promised to withhold a worldwide flood.

- Later in Genesis, if even 10 righteous people can be found, Sodom and Gomorrah will be spared it's judgment.

- Paul writes to the Corinthians and exhorts the believers to remain with an unbelieving spouse if they will stay, so as to sanctify them and their children.

- The believer's influence in the world cannot be understated. His or her light is essential in fighting back the darkness in any given place.

III. Abram's Compromise (v.4)

• Genesis 12:4 : "So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran." : After much personal tragedy, Abram finally set out and took God at His Word. With one exception: He took Lot with him.

- In the entirety of Abram's story, there is the motif of partial obedience. He left his country, but took his family. When Terah died, Abram left, but again took his nephew Lot.

- Lot, as we will learn, was not very concerned about spiritual things. Peter calls Lot "righteous" which is an incredible testament to the grace of God!

- But then again, who are we to talk!

- Unfortunately and fortunately, from here, God gives us an accurate view of Abram's life. The Bible does not seek to hide his blemishes. It's almost embarassing to see what is about to transpire.

- Thankfully, our stories are not published in the record of scripture! Abram's story is meant to instruct us and to warn us. What should we take from Abram's story? Let me suggest a few warnings:

- First, delays are deadly! God had given a word to Abram and he sat on it. Whatever God is asking you to do, do it immediately!

- Is He calling you out from something and into something else? Don't resist. Don't hesitate.

- At your next opportunity, make your obedience active.

- Second, partial obedience is disobedience! For whatever reason, bringing Lot along was the wrong decision for Abram to make.

- He may have felt responsible, or reasoned that he could "bring Lot along spiritually." Sadly, this relationship will only create difficulties and troubles for Abram.

- Lot would become a weight that would impinge upon Abram's promise.

- Perhaps you think that you can get rid of most of that collection. You might reason that some compromise might be healthy. Don't be foolish! Go all the way.

- Finally, don't bring along dead weight! When God calls you out from influence, don't replace that with other poor influence!

- Abram chose poorly in his association with Lot. Don't make the same mistake.

Conclusion

- As we come to the end of this study, let me also say that while the warnings are severe, the exhortations are just as strong.

- God is a God of purpose and destiny. He continues to call those whose hearts are ready to follow. When He calls, He blesses, both the one called, as well as those surrounding the called.

- He wants your life to be significant.

- I pray that you will be wise enough to follow where He leads.