God Calls Abraham
Book of Genesis Chapters 12 through 15
From our studies we know that the first eleven chapters of the Book of Genesis dealt with the creation of this world and then the table of nations.
It also dealt with the beginning of many things.
We next studied the Book of Job who probably lived a couple of generations before Abraham.
We will now pick back up in the Book of Genesis and see Abraham and the beginning of the nation of Israel.
We will see that the key to our relationship with our Heavenly Father is still faith!
We will begin to see how the promises of God have already affected every human upon this earth and the promises of God are the key to our "faith".
Faith is the key to our relationship with our Heavenly Father!
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
And just so you know, you cannot say you have "faith" and disregard the words of the Received Text.
Abortion is still wrong according to the Word of God.
Those who live as Sodomites are wrong according to the Word of God.
All queers are wrong according to the Word of God.
Those who promote these things are wrong according to the Word of God.
When our "faith" is real we can feel the presence of the Almighty God!
In Abraham we get to see true "faith"!
The Book of Genesis also being the Book of Generations let us see how we get to Abraham.
Gen 11:25 And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
Gen 11:26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Gen 11:27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
Gen 11:28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
Gen 11:29 And Abram and Nahor took them 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.
Gen 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Gen 11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
Gen 11:32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
Abraham had begun his journey to the land of Canaan, but the death of his father had brought his journey to and end and this brought a response from the Lord.
*****Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
As we know, Ur of the Chaldees is located in modern day Iraq.
We do not know how God spoke to Abram because God used many methods to speak to those of the Old Testament.
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
How does God speak to us today?
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
So we should not be concerned of any so-called modern-day prophet!
Our only concern should be the teachings of Jesus.
This does not mean we use only the "red letter" passages.
Nor does it mean we use only the New Testament.
We need all the Word of God to be instructed in righteousness!
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Righteousness is doing right according to the written Word of God!
The truth is we can find the Son of God from the Book of Genesis through all the Scriptures to the Book of Revelation.
What we know is that Abram was guided by Jehovah. He did not have a map or a compass.
All Abram had was his "faith"!
God wants us to learn about Abraham!
Fourteen chapters in the Book of Genesis devoted to Abraham.
Chapter 4 of the Book of Romans devoted to Abraham.
Chapter 3 of the Book of Galatians devoted to Abraham.
12 Verses in the Book of Hebrews the Hall of Faith devoted to Abraham.
Abraham was the Father of two races of people who are still relevant in our world today, the Jews and the Arabs.
Three religions of the world can trace their roots back to Abraham.
Christianity, Judaism, Islam.
It can also be said that Abraham is the father of faith therefore the father of all believers.
Rom 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
Rom 4:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
One of the great lessons in understanding the power of God is, that God can take one man, one person and change this entire world for many generations!
It all began with a call from God.
Abraham was called to separate from his country.
Abraham was called to separate from his relatives.
Abraham was even called to separate from his father's house.
Yes, we may have to leave our families to serve God especially if they are against us!
Abraham's world had forsaken and denied the only Living and True God!
Kind of reminds us of what we see today. A world that is forsaking the One True Living God!
One of the most important things God said to Abraham is in verse 3.
*****Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Abraham was a blessing because he was in the blood line to the Messiah.
Abraham was a blessing because he was in the bloodline to the Jews.
Abraham was a blessing because he was in the bloodline to the Arabs.
Abraham was a blessing because he was a great example of "Faith"!
Every Christian must also be an example of the "faith" of Abraham!
Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Rom 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
So Abram believed God and he obeyed.
*****Gen 12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Notice Abram did not dispute with God even though these were great things he was asked to do.
Nowhere else in the Bible is one human called to be the father of a new chosen people.
In this Abram is a type of Christ who also is the Head of a new "Born Again" chosen people!
God called Abram to completely change his life.
To turn his life around and go in a different direction.
To forsake all the people and places he had ever known in his 75 years.
In this Abram is a type of Child of God.
Every "Born Again" child of God is called to leave their old life completely and live a new life for Jesus Christ.
Jesus put it like this:
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
This is truth behind becoming a Christian. Jesus said you should not be surprised by this command.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
This is the complete truth and there is only one way to be "Born Again" and it is by accepting "the complete Word of God" in faith!
The Bible is no to be accepted as the cafeteria. We cannot pick and choose the parts of the Bible we want and reject the remainder!
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Those who reject the Word of God, even one passage, have violated the command of our Lord and Savior!
Abram had to turn away from his old country.
Abram had to turn away from neighbors, friends, and loved ones.
Abram had to turn away from his father's household, his property, and many of his own possessions.
Abram left a place of false gods to seek the true and living God.
Abram was called to live a life separated from that world, in search of a better place.
Abram had to be totally set apart unto God.
Today we call this "sanctification" and every Christian is called to be separate from this world and dedicated to the Lord!
We are just pilgrims passing through this world on the way to God's New Heaven!
We see that Abram would begin his journey by "faith".
Abram did not leave alone.
*****Gen 12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
Abram had not kept these things to himself, but he had told others. Of course his wife who today we would certainly say stepsister.
He took Lot his brother’s son, whose father had died but he chose to trust his uncle Abram.
Then look closely he gathered the "souls" who had believed the Word of God and chose to believe the things they heard.
Abram lives in a pagan land of many gods and Abram learn the truth of the Lord and accepted it as the truth.
We see type after type in these early things of Abram.
If you are child of God, you are on this same journey with Abram today.
Abram will face many difficulties on this journey, but we can enjoy every mile of the trip.
Up to this point we have read where one patriarch after another lived until they died.
Now we get to Abram and we see that he lived so he could live forever!
This is the journey of each true Christian!
We live so we can live with Jesus throughout eternity!
So they went forth into the Promised Land, the land of Canaan.
Gen 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
So Abram journeyed.
*****Gen 12:6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
As Abram journeyed, he first passed through the place where in latter days would be the city Sichem.
The oaks of Moreh existed, but the city of Sichem (Shechem)(Samaria) was not yet built.
Jacob later used this oak forest to hide the things stolen from Laban.
Gen 35:4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
The Canaanites were a godless, wicked people. In some places, they may be called the Amorites.
This Scripture indicates that Abram knew he could not yet lay claim to the land because it was easily seen that there were too many so Abram would travel as a pilgrim through a foreign land but they traveled in faith to the Word of God given to Abram.
Heb_11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Abram knew that before the land could be claimed those godless people would have to be removed!
God had a plan for this, but that part of the plan Abram did not know about. It would not happen in his lifetime!
Abram was to be the father of the nation that would destroy the Amorites and most of the Canaanites which is Israel.
In typology that nation would be the believers who with the Lord will destroy all the evil in this world we live in.
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
*****Gen 12:7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
What do we know?
Abram had reached the promise land but did not at that time possess it.
As a "Born Again" child of God we have reached the promise land but at this time we do not possess it.
Possession will come by the Rapture or it will come by our death, but this promise of God will be fulfilled!
We must know that though we have not reached Heaven, Jehovah already considers the mansion that is being built by Jesus to be ours.
It has our name on it and cannot be given to any other.
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
We will sit together with the Lord Jesus Christ!
When Jehovah says seed in this Scripture, it tells Abram that it will not happen in his lifetime.
It also tells Abram he will have children and we know Sarai was barren at this time and was now 65 years old, Abram being 75 years old.
It is our "faith" that has caused these things to be sure!
What do we know? Our faith will also be tested just as God tested Abram!
As long as we are on this place called earth, we are among enemies!
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Only in Heaven will we be free from our enemies!
Abram, understanding the Words God had given to him, accepted the truth and chose a place to worship the One True God and built an altar to worship.
To be honest no place of worship is complete without an altar!
*****Gen 12:8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
That word Bethel means "house of God".
That word Hai, which is Ai means, heap or mass and was a royal city of the Canaanites.
No matter where Abram traveled, he built a place to worship the Lord.
Bethel had started as a place to worship God but in the end, Bethel came under the judgment of God.
1Ki 13:1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
1Ki 13:2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
1Ki 13:3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
1Ki 13:4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
1Ki 13:5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
We should be very aware that the Judgment of God will begin in the House of God!
1Pe_4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
We know the Lord blessed Abram as he traveled in the Promised Land.
In fact, the Lord blessed Abram and Lot so much it became hard for them to travel together.
Gen 13:6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substancewas great, so that they could not dwell together.
We begin to see the difference between "selfishness" and "unselfish faith".
Most all these things had there beginning in the Book of Genesis!
We must remember what happened to Eve.
1Jn_2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Lot fit into all these categories and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
It is this city and its actions that gave us the word Sodomites, known today as the gay lifestyle.
*****Gen 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
Gen 13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
The Lord again appeared before Abram but only after he had separated from Lot.
We know that Lot was a righteous man in the eyes of God, but at this time he was allowing his pride to interfere with his relationship with the Lord.
Great lessons are to be learned by all those who trust the Lord.
Great lessons can also be learned by all God's children who mix with and accept the things of this wicked world!
It is a fact God will do more for those who trust Him than for those who choose to do for themselves.
Lot saw grazing land where He could pitch his tent in one place and remain there, but he chose to be close to the doorway to sin and eventually moved into that sinful and wicked city and immoral city.
Abram chose a place for a nation.
We will see that God's people who stay away from the worldly, are the same ones who please God.
God told Abram, "do not be sad for your nephew" "look in every direction and you can see the land that will belong to your children and grandchildren and those who come from them".
Act 7:5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
*****Gen 13:16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
What is a promise of God? It is a sure thing! It is real! It will take place!
As we go through these years with corrupt governments easily swayed by climate change, which is happening naturally, we must understand that natures rage can never overcome "faith's" treasures!
God's promises will come because every Word of God is the truth!
We know for a fact that Israel became a great nation, was destroyed and placed all around the world and has again become a great nation.
So some say what about this "as the dust of the earth"? Israel has never been that great of a nation but always been a small people.
But God is not just talking about Israel.
Abraham was the father of most all the Arab nations and there have been many peoples.
You may say again yes but still the dust of the earth.
Also out of Abraham comes the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the Church and the Saints from the time of Adam till today would be a large group.
So yes you add all these groups together Abraham was indeed the father of a large people.
So Abraham, let us take a stroll through the Promised Land.
*****Gen 13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Is there any doubt that God gave this land to Abram?
It would be some 700 years before Joshua would lead Israel into this land to take possession of it.
It was 700 years before these wicked people reached level of sin without repentance before God would destroy them, but He did.
It has now been just over 2000 years since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the wicked will be destroyed when they reach a certain level without repentance.
If we will allow our "faith" in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ be our guide, we to will walk around and admire the Heavenly Land God has promised to those who walk by "faith".
2Co_5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
We do not walk into tomorrow we walk in the great things to come!
We may not know when, but we know they are just as close as our lifetime.
We do not walk in just promises, we walk in "Divine Promises"!
When we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we begin our own journey and through valleys and hills we should enjoy our trip to the "Glory World".
The gift of this land was not fulfilled until the time of King Solomon and will be a reality during the Millennial Reign of King Jesus.
*****Gen 13:18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
What do we see from Abraham? Steadfast obedience.
Abraham first returns to Hebron where he had buried his wife.
This place was special to Abraham.
Hebron is the very place where Abraham made an alliance with Jehovah!
Hebron is one the oldest cities that still exist today and was well known before Abraham.
Hebron is about 20 miles from Jerusalem.
Hebron is the place where Sarah died and is buried in the cave of Machpelah. (There is now a great mosque built inside this cave)
Hebron is part of the special inheritance given to Caleb because he followed the Lord.
Hebron was also one of the 6 cities of refuge.
Hebron was the capitol city of King David for 7 years until he moved his capitol to Jerusalem.
Hebron was also the city where Absalom began his insurrection against his own father King David.
Abram built an altar in Hebron to worship the Almighty Living God.
Why was Abram so much different from most of the remaining world?
*****Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Gen 15:2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Gen 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
We begin to see the "great faith" that Abram had in the Lord.
In reality Abram had no reason to believe the Word of God.
Abram was far past the days of fatherhood and so was Sarah.
Abram did the one thing we are all to do.
We are to listen to what God has to say and then believe every word.
2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
We know the red-letter words in the New Testament are the actual words of Jesus and they are words we need to follow, but all the Word of God came by the Holy Spirit.
There is no words in this world that are as accurate as the Word of God!
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
God said and this is all I need to know.
When God told Abram these things, then he just accepted the Word of God to be the truth.
Abram set the standard for "faith" throughout the written Word of God!
God takes our faith and counts it for our righteousness.
This was the reality in the day of Abram who became Abraham.
This reality became well known in the time of Jesus who paid all our sin debt.
This is the reality today!
Faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ is counted for our righteousness.
Faith is the key to the heart of God!
In reality the word "believe" has its beginning in this 15th chapter in verse 6 and it holds the same meaning throughout the remaining Scriptures.
We can rest on God's promises!
We can lean of God's promises!
We can be sure of God's promises!
We can have complete confidence in God's promises!
Abram believed that one of his seed would be the promised Messiah!
It is righteousness that opens the doors of Heaven and this righteousness comes only by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen
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