Title: Abraham – The Father of Promise
Theme: Understanding and keeping God’s promise.
Text: Genesis 12
Introduction
Review
How did we get here - Dealing with Sin
Genesis 4:1-7 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man from the Lord." (2) Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. (3) And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. (4) Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, (5) but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. (6) So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? (7) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." 8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; [5] and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
This looks like just a story of murder and deceit but it is more. It is control. Control of sin. The ruler ship of sin. Sin - an offence,
Sin
Hebrew - H2398 - Seperation
- Original: חטא - Transliteration: Chata' - Phonetic: khaw-taw'
- Definition: 1. to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness a. (Qal)
1. to miss 2. to sin, miss the goal or path of right and duty 3. to incur guilt, incur penalty by sin, forfeit
b. (Piel) 1. to bear loss 2. to make a sin-offering 3. to purify from sin 4. to purify from uncleanness
c. (Hiphil) 1. to miss the mark 2. to induce to sin, cause to sin 3. to bring into guilt or condemnation or punishment
d. (Hithpael) 1. to miss oneself, lose oneself, wander from the way 2. to purify oneself from uncleanness
- Origin: a primitive root - TWOT entry: 638 - Part(s) of speech: Verb
H2403 - Temptation
- Original: חטּאת חטּאה
- Transliteration: Chatta'ah
- Phonetic: khat-taw-aw'
- Definition:
1. sin, sinful 2. sin, sin offering a. sin b. condition of sin, guilt of sin c. punishment for sin d. sin-offering
e. purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
- Origin: from H2398 - TWOT entry: 638e - Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine
- Strong's: From H2398; an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness) and its penalty occasion sacrifice or expiation; also (concretely) an offender: - punishment (of sin) purifying (-fication for sin) sin (-ner offering).
- Strong's: A primitive root; properly to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference to forfeit lack expiate repent (causatively) lead astray condemn: - bear the blame cleanse commit [sin] by fault harm he hath done loss miss (make) offend (-er) offer for sin purge purify (self) make reconciliation (cause make) sin (-ful -ness) trespassive
Abraham's Journey. Don’t miss the journey. It is part of the fun.
Father of Many Nations - Genesis 17:15
Father of Faith - Romans 4:1-12, Hebrews 11:8
Leaving the Land
Genesis 11:27-32 This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot. (28) And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans. (29) Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. (30) But Sarai was barren; she had no child. (31) And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. (32) So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran..
This was the first journey of Abraham. Terah took his family and left from the Ur of the Chaldeans and began the journey. Some even question whether God spoke to Terah first.
In Genesis 12 we read where Abraham is told to separate from his family.
God we often times tell us to depart from those who don’t understand our promise. Let me tell you people will attract to you when you have a promise and will also try to detract from you.
You need to be very careful who you let speak into you. Who you let be your leader.
Our of the Ur
THE CITY OF UR
When God called Abram he was in a city in Babylonia, named Ur of the Chaldees. Ur was a very advanced city and was believed to have been founded some five hundred years before the time of Abraham.
Ur, could be compared to a modern city, having libraries, schools, a system of law. It was a rich city and many valuable treasures have been discovered including elaborate jewelry.
The false religion of astrology which was begun at Babel was practiced there as it was in all Babylonia. Abraham's father, Terah according to Joshua 24:2, worshiped idols. Jewish tradition refers to Terah as an idol maker. Ur was an idolatrous city worshiping many different Gods such as the god of fire, moon, sun and stars. Sin was the name of the chief idol deity of Ur. Ningal, was the wife of the moon-god, Sin, and was worshiped as a mother God in many other cities. Ur was a evil and sinful city as can be seen in the worship practices of the moon-goddess, Ningal. Every female in the city at some time in her life would have to take her turn in serving as a priestess prostitute in the temples.(1)
As we read Terah the father of Abraham was an idol maker. So it is not hard to assume that Abraham picked up this same trait. Abraham would form and carve the idols. From there he would sale them to the people. You could imagine as Abraham would watch the process that he got curious about how people would follow these. He probably got curious about why people would worship these idols made by hands. So one day as he was wondering about God the true living God spoke to him. I don’t believe that his was random but God saw the heart of Abraham
Dumb gods
Deuteronomy 4:28 And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.
Also see Psalms 115:5-7,
Isa 44:9-18 Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed. (10) Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing? (11) Surely all his companions would be ashamed; And the workmen, they are mere men. Let them all be gathered together, Let them stand up; Yet they shall fear, They shall be ashamed together. (12) The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms. Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails; He drinks no water and is faint. (13) The craftsman stretches out his rule, He marks one out with chalk; He fashions it with a plane, He marks it out with the compass, And makes it like the figure of a man, According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house. (14) He cuts down cedars for himself, And takes the cypress and the oak; He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it. (15) Then it shall be for a man to burn, For he will take some of it and warm himself; Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread; Indeed he makes a god and worships it; He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it. (16) He burns half of it in the fire; With this half he eats meat; He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He even warms himself and says, "Ah! I am warm, I have seen the fire." (17) And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!" (18) They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
Father of Promise
Leaving your family and Friends
Genesis 12:1-5 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. (2) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. (3) 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." (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. (5) Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.
Separating from people who don't understand nor believe your promise.
This is probably the best thing that happened to Joseph
Jesus had to do the same. He had to leave his family to fulfill God’s call. We read where he was ministering one day and his mother and brother’s came to see him. When they asked about seeing him, Jesus looked around and said these are my family. He was not trying to be disrespectful as much as keeping the focus. Luke 8:21
By Faith He Left His City
Hebrews 11:6-10 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (7) By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. (8) 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. (9) By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; (10) for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Dealing with Egypt - Trusting God
Genesis 12:10-20 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. (11) And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. (12) Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. (13) Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you." (14) So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. (15) The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house. (16) He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. (17) But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. (18) And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? (19) Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way." (20) So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.
Abraham had to deal with his Egypt. While for many of us our Egpts are different. It is anything that hinders or separates us from the calling of God. It doesn’t always have to stop us but can delay us.
For Abraham it was trust. This may seem strange to you because you say, “Well he left the land”. But notice how many times God tests him and had him to over come.
Egypt was one of those times.
He went there under his own power and then led into deception or “half-truth”. This affect his integrity with the land.
The idea of trusting God for provisions seems to be a recurring them in Abraham's life. This may be a "thorn in the flesh" or something that God was trying to get out of Abraham because it keeps coming back up in his journey.
Chapter 13: Abraham separates from Lot
As we learn later Lot was a compromiser. Maybe his ministry was to fit in with the natives. He did it at all cost. Lot lost his family over it. His wife (turned to salt) children committed incest. Would he do it differently if he had it to do over again? YES
Genesis 13:12-13 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. (13) But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.
Chapter 14: God’s provision and priest, test of dependence
Abraham paid tithes
Gen 14:18-20 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. (19) And he blessed him and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; (20) And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all.
There was something about the King of Salem the Abraham didn't trust. He didn't want to be defined by this man's life.
Gen 14:21-24 Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself." (22) But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most astrap, and that I will not take anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich'-- (24) except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."
Chapter 15 – Renewing the Promise – Presence of the Lord
Genesis 15:1-17 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." (2) But Abram said, "Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" (3) Then Abram said, "Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!" (4) And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." (5) Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." (6) And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (7) Then He said to him, "I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it." (8) And he said, "Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?" (9) So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." (10) Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. (11) And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. (12) Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him. (13) Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. (14) And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. (15) Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. (16) But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." (17) And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
Chapter 16 – Abraham & Sari hatches a plan
Man’s way was to find it their way. This was not the impossible and this was the promise. When we try to do it our way it always causes a mess.
Chapter 17 – The Circumcised Covenant
Heritage. The Mark
Chapter 18 – Abraham’s Intercession
Not everyone will get it or be involved. Many times the people who started with will not continue. I can’t tell you how many who has gotten out of the journey since I have been a minister of the Gospel. I could tell you name after name. Some recover but not to the Same level.
Chapter 20 Another test in Gerar – Repeating deception, later on we see Isaac do the same thing.
Genesis 21 Abraham’s test, Do you want God or just the blessings of God
Genesis 22:1-13 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." (2) Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (3) So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (4) Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. (5) And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad [30] and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." (6) So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. (7) But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" (8) And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together. (9) Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. (10) And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. (11) But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." (12) 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." (13) Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
Are we willing to give up blessings for the Lord? For the presence of the Lord. God called us "pursue His presence not His presents". But if we "seek first the kingdom of God, all these things will be added unto us."
