Overview
Here we come to a new era or historical period – God’s dealing with a certain man, Abram, later renamed “Abraham”, in order to see His divine plan for mankind on progress. God took a special interest in Abram, since he was the “genesis” of the promised seed. Abram was called by God to a life of separation and consecration. He was called to leave his native land, Ur of the Chaldeasis, which was full of idolatry, and headed for an unknown destination. It seems at first he only partially obeyed God’s call, for he stopped short of Canaan and lived with his father Terah’s household at Haran. When Abram was seventy and five years old, God renewed his call to Abram. This meant even further separation, for he was to leave his relatives and his father’s household.
Along with this call came several promises: (1) Abundance, “I will make you a great nation.” God would do even more than just restore to him that which he had left behind in Haran. (2) Blessing, “I will bless you.” This blessing is both spiritual and material. (3) Fame, “(I will make) your name great.” Even today in all parts of the worlds, Abraham’s name is well known, honored and revered. (4) Goodness, “You shall be a blessing.” Abram was a friend of God and having constant fellowship with God results in godliness. So Abram affected those who knew him. His very countenance was a witness. (5) Divine justice, “I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you.” Abram wholeheartedly took on God’s cause and so here God promises to interest Himself in his. (6) Divine grace. “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This is the greatest promise, for through the seed of Abram came the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.
All nationalities can enter into the blessings of the Lord through Jesus Christ. He is the greatest blessing ever given to the world.
Abram went forth equipped with the divine promises of God and with faith, knowing that God would guide and protect him. Wherever he traveled and set up his tents, he would build an altar and lead his family in worship of Jehovah. When famine struck the land, however, Abram had a lack of faith, for he traveled to Egypt to live without being instructed by God to do so. While there, because of fear, he lied about his wife, He didn’t trust God and hold His promises. Even though we are sometimes unfaithful to Him, God remains faithful as He did with Abram. He delivered Sarah, and thus protected her purity. And He blessed Abram materially in Egypt and when they left, they did so with an abundance. Abram and his household returned to Bethel where he started from and where he had built an altar, and there he “called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 13:4)
Surely Abram repented for his unfaithfulness and renewed his commitment to the Lord. Likewise, we must return to our first love, learn from our mistakes, and recommit ourselves to God and faithfulness to Him. Abram and his nephew Lot, who was like an adopted son to him, were both blessed materially. So much so, that they had to separate because their combined livestock was over-crowding the available land and thus crating strife. Abram was an honorable and peace-loving man, who even laid aside his right by allowing Lot to choose the land he wanted first. Lot chose the best for himself: the fertile Jordan plain. Abram was content, however, and God blessed him, once again reassuring him that the land around him was his and that his descendants would be too numerous to count. Abram responded in worship to the Lord by building and altar to the Lord Hebron.
Our future is safe and will be blessed if we, like Abram, seek peace, separate ourselves from sin, and go forth, faithfully worshipping the Lord wherever we are and trusting Him to lead us.
|
