Series on
“The Amazing Abraham”

Scripture Ref.

Genesis 11 v 31, 12 v 1 - 8

Genesis 11 v 31, 12 v 1 - 8

Genesis 11 v 31, 12 v 1 - 8

Title

Meet the Man

Moving Out

Man’s Chief end is to Glorify God

The Amazing Abraham
No 1. “ Meet the Man” Gen 11:31—12: 1-8

Introduction. In the grey dawn of history, the first great character, who arrests our attention, is that of Abraham. It is our intention to “Follow the Footsteps of Abraham”, this man who was called “The friend of God”.
The one who is the father of the faithful, and the spiritual father of all who believe. Welcome to a very exiting story.
We shall follow his footsteps as he seeks to go forward with God, exercising faith. The Honour roll of faith records of him!
Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place, which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
We shall look at this man’s strength and his weakness. We will look at his success and his dismal failure. We shall examine his Trials, his Triumphs, his Great Faith and his grave fear. From his experience we shall learn the valuable lessons, which God taught him in the school of faith. Also the Profound principles’ he must apply his life. Principles that will guide us in discovering and doing God’s will
Abraham stands out as one of the greatest Old Testament examples for New Testament Christians. He emerges as a man, who desired more than anything else, to discover God’s will and to do God’s will, going forward in faith.
Abraham is presented to us in Scripture as a normal human being. He was no superman; he made mistakes like the rest of us. But his direction was always one way. His eyes were on God—on the coming Saviour Jesus Christ.
He looked forward and he moved forward in faith. It should be the earnest desire of every child of God to go forward with God, walking in fellowship with the Lord, the one who is the spring of all comfort and the source of all blessing.
Believers need to go forward in their Christian experience. The Church must not live in the past; it must go forward in faith, bringing the means of Grace to the present generation by using the gifts and resources, which the Lord has given.
The Church cannot live in the past or on past blessing, neither can it afford to be at ease in Zion. The Church must not be fearful of the future, or reluctant to try new projects, or afraid to take steps of faith to extend the kingdom of God. When “faith” is lacking, Christians cannot be effective in their witness for God.
The Church, can be so like God’s ancient people Israel, of whom it says in
Deut 2 “They took their journey by the way of the Red Sea and the compassed Mount Seir many days” Then the Lord said to them “ You have compassed this mountain long enough, turn you northward”
God’s dear people had been going around in circles for forty years. They had wandered in the wilderness because of their unbelief. It took them forty years to complete a journey that should have been completed in forty days.
They had been gloriously saved by the Grace of God and delivered from their Egyptian bondage. They had been “Sanctified” set apart for God to be His own special people, but they were stuck in the wilderness because they had failed to trust God and to go forward in faith. Abraham, their forefather, went forward with God in faith; he took God at His word.
Heb 11:9-10 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
God’s people are a people who are on the move! Pilgrims and strangers, this world is not our home we are just passing through! We are travelling homeward to heaven the beautiful city of God, and we are to walk by faith and not by sight.
”Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen”
Yet, there are many Believers who are like Israel of old. The Grace of God, has sanctified, and saved them, but they are stuck in the wilderness of this old world. They are not making progress nor going forward with God in faith. There are also many Churches who are just going around in circles because they will not let go of the past and go forward with God.

Some Christians are so afraid of failure, that they become reserved, overly cautious, and uninvolved in life. They follow a policy of guarded living, holding back time and talents from God’s service.
Their motto is: To keep from failing -- don’t try!
On the other hand, those, who are willing to make mistakes and risk failure, are the ones who ultimately achieve great things. Instead of being filled with fear they go forward in faith. Problems are challenges. While they may not all be solved, these courageous people would rather live with that reality than have a clean record of no failures and no accomplishments.
It was Benjamin Franklin who said
”The man who does things makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all -- doing nothing.”

As we “Follow the Amazing Abraham” we will take note of his steps of faith.
1. The Path of Faith. 2. The Price of Faith. 3.The Power of Faith.
4. The Pledge of Faith. 5. The Prayer of Faith. 6. The Position of Faith.
7. The Perils of Faith. 8.The Prize for Faith
All of which are to be seen in the life of Abraham, the father of the faithful.
As we lay the foundation to these studies there are three very important facts that we must lay hold of and then remember as we study this man’s life.
1. His Prominent Place in Scripture .
Abraham is a character of unique importance in scripture in fact he is the most illustrious personage in ancient history. Abraham is the Progenitor of the Nation of Israel and the spiritual father of all who believe.
Consider his Prominence in the page of Holy Scripture.
When we study the book of Genesis, we find that Chapters 1-11 -cover the first two thousand years of human history, twenty generations are covered in eleven brief chapters.Let me give you a compressed history as recorded in the first eleven chapters of Genesis.
Gen Ch.1-3. The Creation of man; and the Origin of sin.
In chapter 4 , The first murder, when Cain killed his brother Abel.
Gen Ch 6-9 The rapid multiplication and the spread of violence and wickedness, resulting in the flood and God’s judgement on a sin sick society.
We also see that because Noah was a righteous man, a man who walked with God; he found favour in the eyes of the Lord, and was preserved along with his family. After the flood mankind multiplied on the earth, and true to form, soon turned away from the God of heaven.
In some respects, the deterioration became even greater than before the flood.
The Apostle Paul’s, description of human degeneracy in the book of Romans highlights the awfulness of sin that existed in the world when God first appeared to Abraham.
Rom 1:21 because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
The result of this devastating slide of sin brought forth some of the most tragic statements in the Bible. Paul says -- Rom 1
“God gave man over to the lusts of his own heart
That their bodies might be dishonoured among them. For they exchanged “the Truth of God for a lie”, and they worshiped and served the creature rather than their creator
”God gave them over to degrading passions”
Women exchanged their natural function for that which is unnatural! Men burned with desire towards one another. Rom 1:27- Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
”God gave them over to a depraved mind”.
Rom 1:28-29
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things, which are not fitting;
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, (NKJ)

What a Tragedy! When God purified and cleansed the earth from sin by means of the flood, He gave mankind another chance to walk with Him in His way, but man again turned his back on God and went on his own sinful way.
But G od is ever a God of love! Even in Judgement, he was loved mankind, giving them another chance. Though, God hates man’s sin, He still loves all men.
So in the midst of human decadence, which had permeated the earth, God began to fulfil a marvellous plan to provide Redemption for all mankind. To implement this plan God chose one man, Abraham through whom He would bless all Nations.
The second section in the book of Genesis begins with the record of Abraham.
The remainder of the book chapters 12-50, which cover a period of about 400 years, record the history of Abraham, his son Isaac, his grandson Jacob, and his great grandson Joseph.
The rest of the Old Testament deals with the history of the Nation, which came forth from Abraham, the chosen Nation of Israel. The entire Bible centres on Abraham’s greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ
I state these simple facts at the very outset of these studies that you might appreciate the strategic place that this man hold in the revelation of God’s plan for Salvation.
God’s choice and call of Abraham marks the beginning of His special dealings with men, after man’s fall into sin, and after the flood waters of judgement, which fell because of man’s sin; a beginning that was consummated in his seed, in his posterity.
This consummation is first seen in the emergence of the Nation of Israel.
Secondly, it is seen in the first Advent of the Lord Jesus, when He came to this earth to die as the Saviour of men.
True Religion! Which is a right living relationship with God, through Sovereign Grace, Redeeming Blood, regenerating faith, can clearly be traced back to Abraham.
Abraham never speaks of God as the God of his fathers! But after Abraham, men speak of God as the God of their Fathers! And God speaks of Himself as “the God of Abraham”
The foundation of all that follows from Gen 12 onwards, is the remarkable development of the--- Divine initiative.

The Divine Choice. The Divine Call. The Divine Covenant.
The Confirmation of which is known as the Abrahamic covenant.
These were all acts of the Sovereign Grace of God; unmerited favour was extended to Abraham. It was God who chose Abraham; Abraham did not choose God. It was God who called Abraham; Abraham did not take the initiative and call upon God.
Wonder of all wonders, God chose Abraham to be His special friend, and He gave Himself to be Abraham’s God. God’s choice of Abraham was Sovereign, it was all of His Grace. He has chosen us in the same way in Christ. He hath chosen us in Christ; he has called us from the place of sin and idolatry unto Himself.
We did not choose Him, we did not deserve Him, we did not call upon Him, He has called us and we responded by faith. We have been chosen and called by His grace and now are accepted in the beloved.
Chosen of God; ere time begun;
His sovereignty we prove
With Christ our head; accounted one
In bonds of Covenant love.
Chosen as sons and heirs of God
Our names are there in heaven
Chosen to life through Jesus’ blood
Our Sins are all forgiven
But for Grace, my soul had perished, withered as the desert sand; Gone to shadows, and tormented, but for Grace’s perfect plan!
God dealt with Abraham in Grace. He then promised to bless him and his descendants, and later He confirmed this with solemn covenant seals. From this point onward, the hope of blessing for all men had its foundation on the fulfilment of God’s Covenant with Abraham. Every blessing that is enjoyed by man today is evidence of the fulfilling of God’s covenant with Abraham, His friend of old.
God said in the “Abrahamic Covenant” “ In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed” We will look at this covenant in a future study.
But for the moment how blessed it is to keep in mind that our God never breaks His word for it is settled in heaven and He always keeps His promises.
After the death of Abraham, the Lord appeared to his son Isaac and said to him
Gen 26:3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
Gen 26:4-5 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
The Lord reaffirms, his promise to Isaac.
”I will be with you “I will Bless you” “I will give you the land” “I will multiply your seed” and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed”
I will bless you Isaac for Abraham’s sake because he obeyed my voice, my charge, my statues, my laws. The Lord will always bless where He finds Obedience to Him.
What God promised to do for Abraham and through him, He would fulfil. He is still fulfilling His promise and will continue to do so until His Plan and Purpose for this world and its people come to its consummation.
When Israel cried out because of their Affliction in the land of Egypt their cry came before the Lord. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. Exod. 2:24
It was explicitly as the God of Abraham that the Lord delivered them and brought them out by the mighty hand of His power. All that God has done for Israel in the past, what He is doing in the present, and what He will do in the future, when He makes Israel the head of the Nations will be on the grounds of the Covenant He made with Abraham.

When Jesus, the Saviour was born, godly Israelites appreciated that He was born in fulfilment of the Covenant that God had made with their forefather Abraham.
The song of Mary goes like this .
Luke 1:54-55 He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.”
Jesus was born to save and He came to save His people from their sin, (the seed of Abraham) but they received Him not. The writer to the Hebrews says of Him.
Heb 2:16-17 for verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Salvation has come through the Jew; through the lineage of Abraham, through Christ. Whosoever embraces salvation become the offspring of Abraham, joint heirs by faith according to the promise. The Blessings that you and I now enjoy in Christ are the fruit of God’s promise to Abraham.
His Prominent Place in Scripture.
The Principle His Life Portrays in Scripture
Gen 15:6 and he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness . Abraham introduces all who read the scripture to the way of responding to God, which is open to men. “The Just shall live by Faith”
Gal 3:6-8 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen preached before through faith, the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed.
The great Principle, which the life of Abraham highlights, is that the Law justifies no man. Righteousness with God is on the grounds of faith alone, for without faith it is impossible to please God.
By faith we can say, I am His by “Election” through “Redemption”
And reserved for “Glorification”

We are to show that we are His through our “Commitment to Him and to the cause of the Gospel.
The Principle His Life Portrays in Scripture
Have Faith in God O heart, Trust and be Unafraid
God will fulfil in every part, each promise He has made
Have faith in God O soul, His cross forever stands
And neither life or death; can pluck us from Hid hand
The Promise God gave him in Scripture.
Gen 12: 2
1. Personal Blessing “I will bless you and make your name great”
2. National Blessing “I will make of thee a great Nation”
God brought Israel into being! Then she was scattered among the nations of the world because of her sin, having rejected her Messiah. Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948; she is now back in part of the land. Today Israel is a military force to be feared by her enemies.One day Israel will be the superpower of this world.
Universal Blessing v 3 “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed”
This is being fulfilled today during this dispensation of Grace when God is calling out a people unto Himself from every nation and kindred as he builds His Church.
God made a promise to Abraham; faith believed it, hope anticipated it, patience quietly awaits it. Yet how slow we can be to exercise real faith! And rest on the promises of God.
Illustration--- I recall a story about a man who had to cross a wide river of ice. He was afraid it might be too thin, so he began to crawl on his hand and knees and great terror gripped him. He thought he might fall through at any moment. Just as he neared the opposite riverbank, all exhausted, another man glided past him sitting on a sledge with his Wife and son and they were joyfully singing.
This man is just like so many Christians today, who tremble at every step, lest the divine promises break under their feet.
They fail to realise the truth that God is their salvation and the Lord is their strength and song. Isa 12:2
By resting completely upon Him and taking His promises at face value, we can drive out the paralysing fear that hinders our effectiveness in serving Christ.
Lord Increase our feeble faith!
For Faith is needed all the way
Faith to Toil Faith to Pray
Faith to start each day anew
Faith to do our duty to
Faith to smile though sad within
Faith to conquer ever sin
Faith to ask Him for His care
While we our earthly trials bear
Faith to smother every sigh
Faith to live Faith to die

Back to “Abraham” Index

The Amazing Abraham
No 2 . “ Moving Out “ Gen 11:31—12: 1-8

Introduction. Abraham the progenitor of the Nation of Israel had not only an outstanding place in Ancient History, but he has also a prominent place in the word of God. Of the fifty chapters, in the book of Genesis, thirty eight are centred on Abraham and his descendants
The Bible is essentially the history of salvation. It tells of God’s provision for sinful men. It begins by making us aware, that man is God’s creature; and God made his world, and when He made it was made good “God saw that it was good”
The Bible then tells us how man disobeyed God’s word, and acted in independence, and in defiance to God’s will. Man thus became guilty, ashamed, and unfit for God’s Holy presence Consequently the need arose, and the stage was set for a work of Salvation. Putting it simply the rest of the Bible tells us how God Himself acted to effect that salvation.
God in His sovereign grace has taken the initiative to bring back man into a right relationship with Himself, and into the full joy of man’s true destiny eternal bliss in His presence. God took a particular decisive step in this work of salvation when He chose and called Abraham.
Salvation would come through the lineage of Abraham, in the person of his greater son “The Lord Jesus Christ”. Abraham would be the father of all who believe.
Adam is the father of the human race, the starting point of human history; he is also the origin of man’s fall into a state of depravity. Adam sinned against God he acted in defiance to His revealed word.
This caused him to loose his place in the Garden of Eden. He lost his Federal headship as the ruler of God’s creation.
He lost the beautiful fellowship, which he had enjoyed with his maker, and the sentence of death was pronounced on him. The moment Adam sinned; sin became a Universal problem, which has remained to this day.
Rom 5:123 wherefore, as by one-man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
A Universal need required a Universal Solution, a remedy was required, and God in His Grace provided a Universal Saviour. God himself provided a Lamb.
It is interesting to note that before God called Abraham, He had always dealt with men as individuals. God dealt with Adam’s sin on the grounds of shed blood. A sacrifice was made and the Lord made a covering for Adam & Eve using the skins of sacrificed animals to cover their nakedness and shame.
In Gen 3:21 we have the first mention of garments, of clothing and God our heavenly Father was the Tailor. He is still making clothing for His people to wear.
The Garments of Holiness, Righteousness, the garments of sacrifice and praise.
After the fall of Adam, there were those who had faith in God and sought to walk in obedience to God shinning as lights in the increasing darkness as sin-waxed worse.
Able was a good man-- a keeper of sheep, the first shepherd that we read of in scripture. Abel brought the firstlings of his flock as a sacrifice unto the Lord, and the Lord accepted his offering. This man had offered according to God’s teaching, but he offered for himself alone, his sacrifice could not avail for another.
Enoch was a good man “A man who walked with God”. His was a walk of Faith, a live of obedience, and God dealt with him on a personal basis. We read of him, “He was not for God took him” God translated him to the realm of Glory via the sky.
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord . He built the Ark to the saving of his household. Yet again, God was dealing with man on a personal basis.
From the earliest of times God dealt with men as individuals and on a personal basis.
In Abel we have a picture of Substitution
The blood of a lamb was shed for the sins of man.
In Noah we have a picture of Approbation
By faith Noah entered into the Ark of God’s pro˜`

God’s choice and call of Abraham marks the beginning of His special dealings with all men after man’s fall into sin, and after the flood waters of judgement which fell because of man’s sin; a beginning that was consummated in his seed, in his posterity.
Friends, a right living relationship with God, for all who believe, through Sovereign Grace, Redeeming Blood, regenerating faith, can clearly be traced back to Abraham.
Back to the Divine choice and to the Divine, that was acts of Sovereign Grace.
1. Abraham’s Country.
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:

This was the first of the Divine appearance to Abraham and it came while he was living in the ancient city of Ur. Ur was one of the most important cities in the then known world when God appeared to Abraham some four thousand years age.
It was a busy commercial centre of Mesopotamia, which was situated in the Persian Gulf, and was bordered by the great river Euphrates.
The city covered about four square miles, and had a population somewhere in the region of 300,000.
History records and archaeology confirms, that many of these people were highly educated. They were proficient in mathematics, astronomy, weaving, and engraving.
Furthermore they preserved their ideas by writing on clay tablets. Which have been invaluable to archaeologists in reconstructing the social and religious life of these people.
They had a good standard of living; their city was prosperous, its seaport making it a centre of an affluent society.
But like the rest of the world “Ur” was Polytheistic.
The people worshipped many gods. The chief deity in this city being the moon god who was worshiped in the Temple Ziggurate
It was in the midst of this Idolatrous existence that Jehovah appeared to Abram, and gave him a command to leave his country, to leave his relatives, to break away from his father’s house, and go to a land that the Lord would show him.
The story of Abraham begins with God when He comes to an unregenerate man with a word of Revelation, with a word of Command. “Get the out of thy country”
The word of God broke through the darkness and the deadness of Abraham’s soul to speak to him about a new place and a new people.
The God of glory appeared to Abraham. He received a personal invitation, and a Royal command. But there was also accompanying divine undertaking. “And I will”
When the Lord, calls for “Faith” He always quickly adds His “I will” Abram,
“ I will show thee a land”
”I will make thee a great nation”
“I will bless you and make you a blessing”
Heb 10:23 exhorts
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
This revelation called for a response, it called for a statement of Faith and it called for a Step of Faith. Abraham stepped out in faith, he obeyed, he left Ur, not knowing where he was going but he looked for a city whose builder and maker is God.
Abraham’s pilgrimage began, where ours begins, with a vision of another place. The Vision of a better land, a home forever blessed with the presence of the Lord.
Beloved, God speaks, we believe, faith dawns and real life begins. Abram left Ur of the Chaldees. God had asked him to move out from the place of condemnation.
It is useful to keep in mind the meaning of the name
Ur of the Chaldees.. Ur--- means “Flame” Chaldees means “destruction”. The Lord was telling Abram to leave the place of “Flame & Destruction”
Today in the Gospel of His saving Grace, God is still calling men and women “to get out” to leave the place of flame and destruction, to leave the place of condemnation that they might become a new people and travel on in faith to a new place.
God says to the sinner in Grace “ trust Me” and step out on the “Path of Faith”
It is a wonderful to be a believer in Christ. It is also easy to misunderstand what the New Testament means by this experience. It is not that we believe Jesus Christ can do things, or merely that we believe in a plan of salvation.

It is that we believe Him, and whatever happens we will hang on to the fact that he is true and Faithful. We prove our faith by out commitment to Him. God says trust Me, and faith responds.
Faith says to God .
Lead us heavenly Father lead us
Over the worlds tempestuous sea
Guard us keep us feed us for we have no help but thee
Yet possessing every blessing; if our God our father be
1. Abraham’s Country.
2. Abraham’s Call
God’s call and invitation to Abraham was like a proposal of marriage. God came to Abraham as a man would come to a woman and He virtually said, “I want you”
Abram of all the people who are dwelling in Mesopotamia, I want you to be my friend.
The Lord used the isolating singular pronouns “you or thee”. God demanded, as the man who proposes to the woman of his choice, that Abram should leave everything else in order to become His.
He should leave his own family to join another the people of God, to leave his own home to live with Him as a pilgrim.
A. The Singularity in the Call
Isa 51:2 “Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.”
This was the “Call of Grace” and the call of grace is always a “Personal call, from a Personal God One who is ever a personal Saviour.

B. The Clarity of the Commands in this Call.
Leave your country! Leave your kindred! He was to go forth unto a land that God would show him!
Abram was to go to a place, which was not of his own choosing, but to a place that was chosen and prepared by God for him. God required that Abram would be completely His; he was to leave all for Him. He was to dwell in fellowship with Him and he was to walk the path of Faith, which would lead him to an inheritance that God had reserved for him.
God asked Abraham to leave all to bring nothing with him but himself. In one sense, he was to contribute nothing, and yet in another sense, he was to give everything, going forward to be wholly at God’s command.
God, asked Abram to go to a place of His choice, a place of whose character and worth, God was the only guarantee.
Abraham knew nothing about this place. In this place he would have no familiar friends but One---” The Lord” everything would depend on Him and on His unfailing care and provision. But God undertook to bless Abraham.
Friends, what the Lord requires of you and I whom He has called in Saving Grace, is that we be prepared to leave all and to follow Christ, depending on His unfailing care, His provision, and His promise of blessing.
Someone has said “ The Kingdom of God is no place for people whose faces are pointed one way and their feet is pointed in another direction
God is not taking people to heaven backwards or in retreat. He is leading them forward. Sometimes the greatest problems in the life of the Church can come from those, whose face is set in one direction but their feet are going another.
To enter the fullness of God’s blessing, like Caleb of old with must wholly follow the Lord.
Saying, Follow Follow I will Follow Jesus anywhere he leads me I will follow on.
A. The Singularity in the Call B. The Clarity of the Commands in this Call.
C. The Reality of the Promise in this Call
God undertook to bless Abraham, giving to him a three-fold promise.
“I will bless you” “I will make of you a great nation” “ In you will all the families of the earth be blessed”
The promise was for “Individual, National and Universal Blessing.
Here, we have the “ I wills’ of God”. Which are the heavenly seal of assurance and security. The “I wills of God” are still available to all who will step out on the path of total obedience and surrender to Him and His will.
Our God will always bless those who are prepared to walk the path faith, claim His promises and take Him at His word.
Gen 28:15 The Lord appeared to Abraham’s grandson Jacob in a dream, just to confirm the promise that He had made with His friend Abraham”
Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Behold, I am with thee. Company for the Lonely/ Comfort for the sad, a refuge for the helpless Behold, I am with thee. Its music to make us glad
In the Great Commission to the Church the Lord said.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
One can hear the call of God to walk the Path of Faith, but it is not always easy to accept, for God’s call be Disruptive, Dis`‡

There would be times that he would be filled with confidence; there would be times when he would be filed with confusion. There would be moments of Triumph, moments of defeat. He would enjoy the mountain top experience. He would also plunge into the valley of despair.
He would have his great moments of “Faith” he would also have his moments of “Fear”
Abram through the Sovereign Grace of God had found the path of faith now he must learn to walk the Path of Faith. He would learn through experience.
That the God on the mountain is the God in the valley
The God of the good time is the God in the bad times
When things go wrong he puts them right
For the God of the day is the God of the night.
1. Abraham’s Country.
2. Abraham’s Call
3. Abraham’s Conduct
Gen 11:31-32 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.

Friends, we find that Abram’s Obedience was only A Partial obedience and this resulted in loss of further progress. This whole venture of Faith grounded to a halt before it progressed very far. Abram took Terah his father with him and also his nephew Lot. The Lord had made it very clear that he must leave the ties of the flesh behind.
God cannot bless were there is but partial obedience. God could not bless Abraham neither can He bless us if there is only partial obedience to His command. The child is God is to be lead by the Spirit, but often he is hindered in his walk by the flesh.
For a period of at least six years, Abram dwelt in a place called Haran, which is about half way to the land of promise. There is no indication in scripture that the Lord instructed Abram to live in Haran. Instead of going forward with God in was stuck in the half way house of partial obedience.
We would do well to note the meaning of this word Haran. (Barren, unfruitful, a place of ruin) For six years Abram lived here and the Lord did not appear unto him and there were no Altars of worship built in Haran
The Lord does not fellowship with those who are dwelling in the Haran’s of this barren world. These were wasted years for Abram, and we all have experienced wasted years to some degree in our lives. Wasted years Oh how foolish, we fail to go forward with God in faith, displaying just a partial obedience.
The Author Tim Hansel wrote
I was almost your person today, Lord. Then I thought what it would have been like if Jesus had done the same thing.
What if God had almost revealed himself in Jesus Christ? What if Christ was almost born and almost lived and almost died?
What if the Lord had said, “Ask and it will almost be given you; seek and you will almost find; knock and it will almost be opened to you”?
What if he would have said, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will almost give you rest. If Jesus had told His disciples “For whosoever would save his life will lose it, and whosoever loses his life for my sake will almost find it”?
My Almost Christianity took on a much different light. I realised how many times I had played the game of being one of Jesus’ “almost disciples.”
I recalled how many times I had prayed almost believing and walked through my days as if he were almost risen, and almost trusted Him on “The Path of Faith”
Sometimes, we can fall into the category of “The Almost Christians” I was almost yours wholly today Lord.
Gen 11:32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
There, has been a death in Haran, Abram’s father has died at the age of 205. There has been a burial in Haran. Terah whose name means, “Delay” has now been buried.
The Spiritual application to grasp from this physical death is the teaching of the New Testament, which tells the believer that the Old Man, the old nature of the flesh must die for this causes delay and hinders spiritual progress.
The Apostle Paul.
Eph 4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
And that you put on the new h‰

The old in Paul’s life had been demolished and buried, he was now building on a new foundation, and he was building on Christ.
London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and had thrown rubbish all over the place. As he showed a prospective buyer the property he took pains to say, “that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the rubbish”.
The buyer said, “Forget about the repairs when I buy this place I’m going to build something completely different. I don’t want the building; I want the site.”
That’s God’s message to us!
Our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse that is going to be demolished. When we become God’s children the old life is over.
He makes all things new. All He wants is the site the to build on. There are still some trying to “reform the Old,” but God offers through redemption to build a new edifice for His Glory” All we have to do is give Him the “property” and He will do the necessary “building.”
In Ur of the Chaldees Abram heard the Divine Call unto Salvation. At Haran he learned something of the Divine Claim for Separation. He had learned a valuable lesson and now he is on the move again.

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.
Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh
Sichem. The name means “Shoulder, Strength, Service”
Moreh… the name means, “the place of instruction” Abram’s, on the move with God he would find the Lord to be his strength, and he would soon discover that when he walked with the Lord in fellowship He would instruct him.
Gen 12:8And 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.
Abram, has arrived at Bethel
Hai.. Means “the Place of defeat” Abram has now his back towards the place of defeat! His face is towards Bethel,
Bethel: (the House of God) the place for Adoration, it is there that he builds an Altar and calls on the name of his God.
Abraham is learning that the “path of faith” calls for separation unto the Lord. One must listen for instruction from the Lord who ever says to His own “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go, I will guide you with my eye.
Abram was learning something of the “Adoration and Worship” which was to be rendered unto the One who had called him out of darkness into His glorious light.
Man’s chief end is to Glorify God.

Back to “Abraham” Index

The Amazing Abraham
No 3 Man’s chief end is to Glorify God.

Introduction. Abram had heard and responded to the Call of God to leave his country and to go to a land, which He would show him. We noted, “The Singularity of this Call, The Clarity of this Call, as he was to leave, not only his country, but his father’s house as well.
We also noted the reality of a Covenant Promise, which related to this call. It was Individual, National, and Universal Blessing would be Abram’s portion because of his obedience to God.
But as Abram’s new adventure with God was just beginning, his initial obedience was only partial, for we find Abram wasting time in Haran…For six years he lived in a barren place because he did not sever the ties of the flesh; he took His father and Lot with him.
Then, after his father Terah died, Abram was once more on the move “Walking By Faith” until he arrived in the land of Promise. We see him “Worshipping & Witnessing” as he builds an altar and called on the name of his God. He pitched his Tent and built an altar. A tent and Altar, this was all that Abram had. To the end of his life, he was what man called a “Nomad”.
But this man was now walking with God on the path of Faith, learning more of the great attributes of the God, who had called him out of darkness into the light of His Salvation. Back in the land of Chaldees, Abram’s brother Nahor built a city and called it after his own name. The World may have considered Nahor a great success and Abram a great failure, but with God it was the other way around. Abram was the real success.
Nahor’s name means “Snoring” I am reminded that this man was asleep, and unconscious, to his spiritual need. The old nature, which man has inherited from Adam, delights itself in outward things; it settles downs comfortably in this world, asleep to the danger the soul faces without a saving faith in Christ.
On the other hand, the believer has been aroused to his need before God, and has, through faith, received the spirit of Christ. He is now a Pilgrim and a stranger in this world, with no permanent dwelling place. Yet, he has all that he needs “ A tent and an Altar”
Abram, openly acknowledges his God, he recognises His Presence and he directed his worship towards Him, approaching Him with sacrifices and praise, abiding in close fellowship with Him
.
Abram was dwelling in the place of real blessing, but soon he was to learn that the path of a separated man is never an easy one
Gen 12:9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
Gen 12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
Suddenly Abram’s circumstances changed, for this is ever a changing world. The dark cloud of famine had appeared in the sky of Abram’s Faith. His first test has arrived a famine in the land of promise.
This famine constituted a new experience for Abram. As far as we know, he had never experienced a Famine before, either in Ur, or in Haran. Imagine what might have been going through his mind “I came all this way for this! I thought that this was going to be a land of Blessing”.
1. The Pressure Upon Abram
The rains, which usually fell in the latter part of the year, had failed; the crops were burned up long before the harvest time. There was no grass to feed the flocks, and precious little water to drink. We can well imagine the complaining and the murmuring Abram would have had to listen to, from those who were close to him; even his servants and herdsmen would have brought pressure to bear upon him.
No doubt Carnal Lot would have made his voice heard. Uncle Abram, you were out of your mind to leave our own country to travel to this unknown land. Now we are going to perish and its all your fault!
Abram you obeyed this new God whom none has ever seen. One who was full of promises but He has failed to deliver. We are going to perish along with the livestock”.
Yes, Abram would have had to listen to a lot of complaints from those who had travelled with him from Ur.

Then Abram would have had to listen to the taunts of the Canaanites who dwelt in the land.
“Where is your God now, this invisible God to whom you offer sacrifices, build Altars and worship” Where is the God that you say, brought you to this land?
After having travelled all the way across the desert, Abram now faced the danger of being wiped out in the land, where God had promised to bless him.
A stranger in a strange land surrounded by a strange and hostile people. He also had the responsibility of vast flocks of flocks and herds and now he was faced with disaster!
Had Abram made a great mistake? How would we have reacted in such a Crisis? How did Abram react? Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
Abram took decisive action. He went down into Egypt, but he not only went down geographically he went down spiritually. His place of departure was Bethel (the house of God) he left his Altar, his place of Worship.

He acted on his own initiative. He had not consulted God as to what he should do and this was the root cause of all the evil, which followed. He had now forsaken the “Path of Faith” he was out of step with God and soon he found himself in the depths of lying, compromise, disobedience and dishonour.
Forsaking the path of Faith, for whatever reason, always brings complications. A whole series of events now followed in Abram’s experience, which stemmed from his lack of trust in God.
There were two things that Abram did not expect to find in the land of Canaan---the Canaanites and the Famine--- but both of these were there in the Sovereign purpose of God, to test his Faith. Abram failed his first test and he went down into Egypt. It is always a downward path when one gets out of step with the Lord.
The land of Egypt, in scripture, is often symbolic of the world, a world which is no friend of Grace.
Isa 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!
Abram, in his hour of crisis failed to look to the Holy One! Instead of saying, “although, there is plenty in the land of Egypt, I will stay in the place where the Lord has brought me, I will remain here until He tells me to move on! I will trust Him to meet my need during this time of famine”.
Abram took his eyes of the Lord and he went down, straying away from his God. After his seasons of communion and fellowship with the Lord, after his mountain top experience with God, Abram soon found himself a backslider.
The Ephesians strayed out of the “Will of God” by leaving their first love! Beloved, Believers who are in the Egypt of bondage today, know deep in their hearts, that they have left their Bethel. They have left the house of God, the Altar, the place of worship and communion with God.
Robert Robinson had been saved out of a tempestuous life of sin, through George Whitefield’s ministry in England. Shortly after that, at the age of twenty-three, Robinson wrote the hymn.
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Sadly, Robinson wandered far from those streams and, like the Prodigal Son, journeyed into the distant country of carnality.
Until one day -- he was travelling by stagecoach and sitting beside a young woman engrossed in her book. She read out a verse she thought was beautiful and asked him what he thought of it.
Prone to wander -- Lord, I feel it --
Prone to leave the God I love.
Bursting into tears, Robinson said, “Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.”
How easy it is for any of us to stray away from the Lord and to lean upon our own understanding in times of trial. Abram’s mind was focused on the Famine and he had forgotten the promises of God.
The One, who would feed his descendants in the wilderness with Manna from heaven, would also have feed him during the famine. The One who ordered the birds of Prey the Ravens, to bring meat to Elijah while he was at the Brook Cherith, would have provided for Abram.
The One, who fed the five thousand with five Barley loaves and two small fish, could also have fed the father of the faithful and his travelling companions.

Friends, in New Testament language, Abram needed to learn, what we must continue to learn as we travel the Path of Faith. It is the teaching of the Lord Jesus.
Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
God knows all about our Needs,-- Trials, and the Burdens we bear and knowing He Cares for us! The believer can say from experience
Amid the Trials that I meet,
Amid the Thorns that pierce my feet!
One thing remains supremely sweet
Thou thinkest Lord of me.
The Cares of life come thronging fast
Upon my soul their shadow cast
But their gloom reminds my heart at last
Thou thinkest Lord of me.
The lesson that the Lord is teaching us from this experience is, let him who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. For, many will be the attacks of Satan along the “Path of Faith” for this path is never an easy one to follow.
Yet there was something far deeper and more sinister in all of this! This was not just a time of testing for Abram; it was the time when Satan made his first move to destroy Abram.
So that he would not have descendants. Then there would be no heir of promise. For the Promised Messiah, the seed of the woman would come from the lineage of Abram.
Satan was trying to frustrate the purpose of God concerning the promise of a Saviour, who would come into this world to deal with the problem of man’s sin.
Beloved, beware, for his tactics have not changed! He is still seeking to frustrate the purposes of God, in the life of the Church and in the lives of His people.
Satan is ever seeking to draw the people of God down into the Egypt of this world, drawing us into by path meadow and away from God, to mar our testimony.

Like Abram, we must learn to keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Lord, trusting Him at all times, bringing everything to Him in Prayer.
Trust in the Lord and don’t despair,
He is a friend so true, no matter what your troubles are
Jesus will see you through.
1.The Pressure Upon Abram
2.The Perils that faced Abram
Verses, 11-20 Forsaking the path of Faith always brings its own complication and perils, which soon grip the heart with fear. As he approaches Egypt, Abram’s Faith has gave way to fear. Abram’s wife Sarai was a most attractive woman, and Abram begins to reason like an unsaved man. verses 11-13)
In ancient times, it was standard practice if a man wanted to secure himself a wife from another man, all that he had to do was to murder that man. Then he could legally claim all of that man’s possessions including his wife. Abram was well aware of this degenerate behaviour among the heathen. He had seen this in operation in Ur.
He began to fear for his life; yet he did not seek God concerning his fears. Fear imprisons, fear paralyses fear disheartens, and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life.
Then Abram’s “Fear” gave way to “Falsehood and deception”
Gen 12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
What a selfish despicable request! It’s a wonder that Sarai ever spoke to him again.
We might ask, is this really the same man who left Ur. of the Chaldees, and put his trust in God and travelled miles on the path of Faith?. Is this really the man who was called “the father of the faithful?
It is the same man? What a web of falsehood and deceit he was now spinning. There is no knowing just how far a child of God will sink when they get out of touch with God. How deceitful the heart is, and above all things and it is desperately wicked.
Of course, Abram could have sought to justify himself, by pointing out that after all Sarai was his half sister. In the sight of God a “Half Truth is a whole Lie”
All heaven, must have wrung its hands, as the news of Abram’s lie was made known.
Instead of Depending on God Abram had turned to Deception. He was now Trembling instead of Trusting. There was Fear where was there was Faith. Abram was prepared to defile the one who was a chosen vessel unto the Lord, and through whom He would fulfil His promise concerning his seed. Only for the intervention of God, the womb of Sarai would have been contaminated by a Satan controlled king.
How far-reaching are the consequences of man’s sinful folly? We sin against God, we sin against our better selves, and ultimately our sin effects the lives of others.
How easy it is to go down into the realm of a cold hearted, fear filled backslider out of touch with God. How did Abram get himself into such a dilemma? Was there more to this than the Pressure of the famine?
Verse 9. Gives us the answer “And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. He moved on before God had told him to do so! He went ahead of his Lord instead of walking with him. Abram, failed to keep in step with the Lord and he went down.
Abram, went down to Fear, Falsehood, and this was quickly followed with Frustration..
Gen 12:14-15 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

When Abram arrived in Egypt his suspicion became a reality. Pharaoh’s spies, who were constantly on the look out for beautiful women, quickly spotted Sarai’s beauty and her attractive foreign features and soon she was taken to Pharaoh’s house, and made her part of his Harem.
How this must have inflicted on Abram deep feelings of guilt and shame. He had saved his own life but he had lost his wife to Pharaoh. He had lost the one who was to be the mother of his children, the chosen one of God, through whom the line of the Messiah would come.
Friends, life is a journey on a un -travelled road. There are times when panic can overwhelm us, as we contemplate what lies ahead of us. There are times when we get off course, and soon are filled with doubt and fear.
We need to always be sure that we are going in the right direction. We are travelling in the right direction when we are walking close to God. Then and only then can we walk in power and not in panic.
Phillip Brooks – “The great Easter truth is not that we are to live newly after death -- that is not the great thing -- but that we are to live here and now by the power of the resurrection”
Verse 16 Informs us that Abram was “Favoured in Egypt”
Gen 12:16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
This sudden accumulation of wealth may have delighted Lot I can almost hear him say, “Cheer up uncle Abram! Look here is another flock of sheep on its way to you from Pharaoh”
Abram would just groan! He had lost Sarai, He has lied about their relationship! He had lost his self-esteem. He had failed his God! He had played the fool.

Yes in Egypt, he had acquired great riches, but the price tag had been very high.
Many, since Abram, have travelled the same road. They have become rich, prospered in material things but have become spiritual bankrupts. How important it is that we stand fast in the faith, ever asking the Lord to increase our faith. A Faith that is victorious over every dark cloud that appears on our horizon.
Oh, for a Faith like the Saints of old
Heb 11:33-34 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Lord Increase our Faith
Give me O Lord a Faith Serene,
That rests in Thee Alone
Assured that Divine Grace has made me all your own
1.The Pressure upon Abram
2.The Perils that faced Abram
3.The Punishment because of Abram
Gen 12:17-19
And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. The Lord sent plagues upon Pharaoh because of Sarai. The Lord would not have His chosen vessel to remain a captive in an Egyptian harem. Sarai would be a free woman in every sense of the word.
There is of course typical teaching from Sarai’s plight.
In Gal 4:22,23… The Apostle Paul reminds us that Abraham had two sons. One by the Bondwoman, the servant Hagar…that son was “Ishmael” The Other was Isaac, the son of promise and he was born of the free woman Sarai when she was well past the age for child bearing. God miraculously gave life where there was but death.
This was what He does through His Son of Promise the Lord Jesus, all who trust in Him for Salvation are free from the power of Satan, death, and hell
When Abram went down into Egypt he not only failed to protect Sarai, he put the purpose of God in salvation in jeopardy. But God stepped in and Plagues the house of Pharaoh
He protected His chosen one! It was not long before Pharaoh, sent for Abram
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.
What is this that you have done? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say that she was your sister? These were searching questions for an ungodly man to ask a believer. This highlighted his failure. These question must have pierced Abram and embarrassed him
How embarrassing for the Believer, when he is found out by the Ungodly. When lies, falsehood, and deception are exposed. How, grievous this is to the Lord and how damaging to His Work. Abram’s deception not only affected him, but his whole household. A Christian, who is out of touch with the Lord is ever open to the scorn of the ungodly
How sad it is to note, at that moment in time that a pagan king looked more moral man than one who was a Believer in the living God. Abram’s deception is recorded for our learning, and is a warning to us to keep in step with God and not to leave the path of faith.
The Punishment because of Abram
The Place where God drove Him
Ch 13--1-4

There was only one way for Abraham to go, only one place for him to get back on track, back to renewed fellowship with God. He went back to Bethel, and there he called on the name of the Lord.
We do not find him building Altars in Egypt, neither do we read of him calling on the name of the Lord. But God, in His great mercy brought the wander back to Himself, and he is still doing the same today. Oh how the Lord loves the backslider.
As we reflect on this Incident from the life of Abraham, may we say..
I would have the Saviour with me
For I dare not walk alone
I would have His presence near me
And His arm around me thrown
Then My soul will fear no Ill
While he leads me; where He will
I will go without a mummer
And His Footsteps follow Still.

Back to “Abraham” Index