Abraham – Faith Begins to Take Root

Abraham – Faith Begins to Take Root
>>> Read Genesis 12:9 – 13:13<<<

Abram took some tentative first steps of faith when God called him to leave country and kindred – however, he didn't really leave his family behind. Abram's father had died but Lot would continue to be a thorn in Abram's side. Throughout Abram's life, we will see God's faithfulness drawing him into intimate friendship. This friendship enabled Abraham to become the great man of faith that we see at the end of his life.

In our last look at Abram, we left him worshipping God at the altar in Bethel. The altar, in Scripture, represents two things: 1) God's desire to come down to meet with man, and 2) the altar that exists in the heart of man when he is counting upon God to forgive him. But Abram didn't stay in Bethel, the place of dependence upon God; his communion with God was cut short when he began to drift south into Egypt. Egypt is the place where material necessities and comforts are provided, not by God, but by man.

Here we see Abram settling down again, not where God had led him, but in a place where his needs could be met without God. Egypt did not offer sweet fellowship and enjoyment of God's provision.  It was the place where Abram used deceit, instead of dependence upon God, in order to survive. Once again, we see Abram accumulating the world's riches, not God's – and they come with personal cost to him.

Abram stayed in Egypt until he was sent away by Pharaoh, and then he returned to Bethel where he called upon the Lord (there is no record that God spoke to him at this time). Apparently, Lot acquired some wealth in Egypt as well, and this created a conflict between the herdsmen of the two men. Their combined herds were too much for the land space – this is a consequence of Lot's presence in the land (because Abram did not leave his family behind) and their wealth, which was obtained at the expense of fellowship with God.

Now we see that Abram has learned something about trusting God. When it becomes necessary for the men to separate, Abram allows Lot to choose the land he wants. He is actually allowing God to choose through Lot. When there was famine in the land, Abram acted according to what he saw with his own eyes, and sought relief in Egypt – but this time he uses the eyes of faith, and Lot is the one who makes a decision based on sight. Lot saw the well-watered valley and the cities; they reminded him of Egypt (Gen. 13:10), so he moved his tents near Sodom where "the men were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord" (vs 13).

Lot is set in contrast to Abram so that we can learn the stark difference, within our own lives, between the heart that desires God and the heart that yearns for the world. Abram did not always seek God first, but his failures brought him back to God. The path of faith includes failure – failure that leads to humble repentance as we come to recognize our personal weakness; however, the general direction of the faith-walk is toward intimacy with God.  Lot did not walk in that direction; his heart was filled with the world – therefore, his feet took him there.

Abraham, on the other hand, was becoming occupied with the unseen promises of God – and with God Himself. He was learning, in stages, to allow God to govern his interests and desires. His willingness to submit to God regarding where to settle is evidence that he no longer trusts his own judgment; he desires to know the mind of God on the matter. God waits for us to come to this very same realization: to set aside our own thoughts and seek the mind of God on all matters.

Once Abram was no longer encumbered with Lot's presence, God spoke to him, encouraging him in his faith by providing more details about the promised land and descendents. As for the land, he told Abram to look around – everything he could see would belong to his descendants. Then God told him to walk through its length and breadth. God encouraged Abram to experience the land and reminded him again, "I will give it to you." His faith is strengthened by increased revelations and assurances of God's intentions for him. As to Abram's descendants, God gives His promise more substance when He declares that Abram's descendents will be numbered as the dust of the earth.

God asked Abram to leave everything behind, but He put something in its place. In the same way, Jesus asks us to leave the world behind and to allow Him to empty us of ourselves. As we follow Him, He begins to fill us up with Himself. He draws us away from the life we know and into a life of communion with God. In the process, we lose the desire for the things of the world, entering in by stages, to intimacy with the Lord Jesus. There we become part of His own relationship with the Father. This is the relationship that sustains us when we are tempted or tried – as we will surely be in this world.
LJ 8/09   

Abraham: The Seed of Faith Begins to Grow

Abraham: The Seed of Faith Begins to Grow
>>> Read Genesis 12:1-8 <<<
Abraham is a walking, talking illustration of how a believer matures in his faith. We are shown examples of how he fails in faith – and examples of how he shines. The story of Abraham’s life, though, is really about God’s faithfulness and the way He cultivates friendship with a believer. God does not ask us to have blind faith, instead He reveals His character and ways to us; He confides in us about His plans, and He promises to provide all we need so we are able to do His will.

As we read his story, we see that God gradually enlarges Abraham’s capacity to understand who He is; for in the beginning, Abraham didn’t know God at all. The world at that time consisted of people who had been scattered out from Babel. Ur of the Chaldeas was a city filled with idol worship (Joshua 24: 2) – archaeological discoveries show that they had a city god and a moon god.

Acts 7:2-4 tells us that “the God of glory” appeared to Abram while he still lived in Ur. The God of glory – this was the first time God had been revealed by that name and in that character; His glorious splendor must have out-shown that moon god and gotten Abram’s attention.

Abram and Sarai began their trek into the unknown when God called them to leave home, relatives and country. They were to go to “the land which I will show you” – that was all they were told about their destination. Abram was told to leave the relatives in his father's house (Gen. 12:1; Acts 7:2) -- a directive which Abram did not follow. It appears that Abram’s father took charge of the trip (Gen. 11:31) and that they were waylaid at Haran (which means "parched") until his father died. The Word of God tells us that the family settled there (Gen. 11:31) – this was not a rest stop – and it was not the destination God had in mind.

During his time at Haran, God did not reveal Himself further to Abram; He was silent. Verse 5 tells us that the family had acquired possessions during their stay at Haran. Wealth acquired in the place of disobedience is the world’s wealth and, in Abram’s case, reveals his connection to earth, and not to God. Abram had exercised faith by leaving his homeland and the idolatrous life he had there, but he did not yet understand God’s full purpose for him.

There was no fresh revelation to Abram’s soul during his stay in Haran. We must act in accordance with the light already communicated, and then God will give us more. God will never drag us along the path of truehearted discipleship. . . He does not drag, but draws, us along the path which leads to indescribable blessedness in Himself. C.H. Mackintosh

It took the death of his father to get Abram moving in the right direction again. This is a picture of death to the natural, worldly ties that keep us from the life of faith. Following this death, Abram returned to the path of faith – a difficult path – a path where God alone would sustain his soul. The difficulties of the way would wean Abram from the world while anchoring his soul in the God who provides everything for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:2-4).

When Abram left Haran and moved forward in the direction of faith, he came to Moreh. There were Canaanites in that area and they could prove to be a trial for Abram, so the Lord appeared to him and fortified His original promise. More specific than the “I will make you a great nation” (vs 2), God now mentions that Abram (who has a barren wife) will have descendants and that they will inherit the land the Canaanites now occupy. Abram’s response is to worship the Lord with an altar.

God had directed Abram’s attention away from the Canaanite and onto Himself. He reveals Himself as the One who will give the land to Abram; Abram is not going to worry about the Canaanite, he is going to worship God and allow God to do all He said He would do. Abram continues on to Bethel where he builds another altar and pitches his tent. The altar and the tent are characteristic of Abraham and his message to believers. He is a worshipper of the one true God (the altar) and he is a ‘stranger’ in the world (the tent). As a stranger in the world, he has everything in God and nothing on the earth. This does not mean that he never owns a possession; rather it means that his heart is never possessed by the world.

God did not take Abram to a place of wonderful rest, for his faith would not mature there. Instead, He took him to the place where Abram would learn who God is and how to have faith in Him. This is the very same place where He will take us!

Our home, our hope, our inheritance are all above – if we are led by the Spirit into the understanding of this truth, we could never be satisfied to maintain a standing, seek a name, or lay up an inheritance on the earth. CHM
LJ 8/09

Abraham – The Friend of God

Abraham – The Friend of God
>>>>>Read Genesis 12-25 <<<<<

But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham My friend. Isaiah 41:8

“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God's friend. James 2:23

In Genesis 4 through 11, we see man’s rebellious heart leading him away from God as he invents ways to live comfortably in a cursed world. The record shows Noah’s descendants turning to idol worship and building cities where they can depend upon each other instead of upon God. At this point, we could ask “How will God ever get what His heart desires: men and women who know Him intimately?”

ABRAHAM! Abraham is the answer! God reached down and set him apart to become His friend. What’s more, he would become a living picture of what it means to grow in the knowledge of God. Abraham did not know God when he started out; he lived in a prosperous city, filled with every kind of idol worship. It’s probable that he knew very little, if anything, about Jehovah – the God who reveals Himself to man – yet, when all is said and done, God called him ‘Abraham My friend.’

There are many astonishing things in the Bible. Few of them, however, are more so than this –
that God should desire a friend. ~T. Austin-Sparks

We could learn many spiritual principles and doctrines through the study of Abraham’s life, but we will limit ourselves to discovering how God brought a man into such relationship with Himself that He is able to call him “my friend.” Other men in the Bible are described in different ways, such as “a man greatly beloved” (Daniel) and “a man after God’s own heart” (David); but “My friend” is exclusive to Abraham.

What does it mean to be a friend of God? It means that each friend is committed to the other; it means that God confides in you regarding His plans; and it means that you have complete confidence in God even when He does not explain why He takes you through difficult things. A believer who becomes the friend of God will gain great insight into God’s character. Abraham’s story is filled with revelation of God’s attributes, ways and purposes; but these things are not directly declared – instead, they are seen in His words and deeds – they are discovered as Abraham’s relationship with God progresses. Our own growth into friendship with God is just like this.

I would encourage you to take some time to read Genesis 12 through 25 a few times. You will get so much more out of the study if you become familiar with the story. In fact, you will be surprised at the details you will see on your own; look for something new each time you read it. The Spirit of God is an amazing teacher! Here are some things to notice as you read:

What is Abraham required to do so that God will fulfill His promises?
Note the conditions under which God speaks to Abraham – where is Abraham and what is he doing?
Note God’s silence when Abraham wanders from the place where God told him to go
Abraham’s altars (or lack thereof) are significant; notice what is going on when they are mentioned.
Does Abraham ever settle down in a house or a city? Who does? And what happened?
Compare Abraham’s faith in God at the beginning of his life with his faith in Him at the end.

God set Abraham apart to walk by a principle that the world had not yet known – that principle is direct faith in Him. God will let the world go its way, but He will have a presence upon the earth. This presence begins with Abraham, a man whose heart was not set on the world, or on himself. Abraham did not wake up one day filled with confident faith in God. His faith grew as he came to recognize God’s faithfulness to him. Abraham believed God against his own reason; against his own feelings; against the opinion of others; and against all human possibilities. Adam and Eve, in their innocent state, could never have learned what Abraham learned in God’s school – – it is a school of trials wrapped in grace.

Abraham and Sarah are not in the ‘hall of fame of the faithful’ (Heb. 11) because they were perfect examples of unwavering faith, but because they grew in faith throughout their lives as they looked ahead to the fulfillment of God’s promises. They were real people who needed time in order to grow into the deeper knowledge of God. Abraham learned to trust God to provide everything he needed ‘for life and godliness’ – and he learned it by personally coming to know the goodness of God through ‘His very great and precious promises.’ It was his personal knowledge of God (gained by revelation plus difficult circumstances) that made it possible to ‘escape corruption in the world caused by evil desire’ (See 2Pet. 1:3, 4).
***** More on Abraham in our next study ***** LJ 7/09

The Natural Man on the New Earth

The Natural Man on the New Earth
>>>>> Read Genesis 9:1 – 11:8 <<<<<

The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.1Cor. 2:14

In the pre-flood days of Noah, man was governed by his own conscience. In those days, God did not regulate or interfere with the ways of the world; instead, He allowed things to progress according to the desires of men’s hearts. Unfortunately, the heart of man was not inclined to seek God. However, God did set men apart to demonstrate His ways and to represent Himself to the defiant world (men such as Abel, Enoch and Noah). These ‘righteous’ men are written into the pages of Scripture in a way that deliberately sets them in contrast to those who are unrighteous.

When we see men set apart in Scripture, we should pay close attention – not so much to the men themselves – but more importantly, to what God is doing and how He is doing it. Most of the time, the men and women God calls for His special purposes are flawed in obvious ways. We will become confused or misled if we focus on them; we can only mature spiritually as we grow in our understanding of God Himself. Keep in mind that the people He uses are secondary to His purposes.

In Chapter 9, Noah proves himself to be one of those flawed men. In many ways, his life parallels the life of Adam. Both men were told to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ and both were given a dominion over the earth. Dominion for Adam was illustrated by naming the animals and managing their care. Noah’s dominion was embodied in his power over the animals, in that they would serve his need for food. The last parallel is a sad one: both Adam and Noah have shame in common – each man required a covering due to shameful weakness and failure.

God’s only instructions to Adam – the representative head of creation in his day – were ‘do not eat of this tree’ and ‘be fruitful and multiply.’ Following Adam’s sin, corruption reigned and unrestrained violence became commonplace on the earth. Noah was made the representative of human government; God instructed him in the area of restraint of men’s conduct. First, mankind was to fill the earth – he was not to congregate in one place – instead he was to spread out over the whole earth. Secondly, although men were now allowed to kill animals for food, they were not to kill their fellow man. God brings man under His own protection when He says, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.” By this, God elevated a man’s position in the eyes of other men – human life should be sacred to man because it is sacred to God. The third directive was that man should not consume the blood of animals, for ‘the life is in the blood’ (and God does not give life to man through any blood apart from that of the Savior). These are the mandates Noah received to govern the renewed earth.

The Spirit of God wastes no time showing us Noah’s failure to govern. We find him drunk in his tent where he is dishonored when Ham publicized the fact that his father was ‘uncovered.’ Ham was a man who did not understand that his sin is covered; he had no thoughts of God’s mercy. Shem and Japheth exhibit the divine method of dealing with human nakedness – their action illustrates acceptance of God’s covering for man’s sinfulness.

Noah cursed Ham, and his legacy became an extension of Cain’s corrupt, rebellious line. His descendants built cities such as Babylon, Nineveh, Sodom and Gomorrah – but the first notable city was the well-known city of Babel. Chapter 11 gives an account of this city-building project – and the whole process gives us a picture of the man without God. First, they journeyed all together and settled in one place instead of scattering over all the earth as God had commanded them to do. Then the builders used man-made materials (bricks and tar) rather than stones and mortar from the earth. Next, they plotted to make a tower to reach up to heaven – an ancient ziggurat (used in idolatry) like the ones in Assyria and Babylonia. Once again, God intervened.

He knew there was nothing they could not accomplish if they stuck together. This is exactly what they planned – in defiance of God’s directive to fill the whole earth – they were going to stick together and conduct their lives as if they had never heard of God. The Creator of the universe meant nothing to them; they were going to make a name for themselves.

God foiled their plan and scattered them out over the face of the globe. He remembered His covenant of mercy – what else would keep Him from decimating the earth and every person on it? God knows the heart of man and will entrust nothing to him; His covenant is the only sure ground upon which man can stand. God desires for mankind to be fruitful – He longs to have many children who will experience His abundance and His love, therefore He will continue to give “seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night” (Gen. 8:22). LJ 7/09