The Life and Death of Abraham

1. Abraham’s call – chapter 12

Look at 11:27-32. Ur: (busy and prosperous capital of Sumerian people. Sophisticated.)

Abraham’s religious background:

Joshua 24:2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods.

Genesis 24:3-4 I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.

(would appear they worshiped the true God since Abram wanted to send back to his relatives for a wife – but still had trappings of other gods.)

Ur to Haran = (500 miles nw)

Why did they decide to go to Canaan? Acts 7:2-4 says, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’ “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.

What significant detail do we have in vs. 30? (Sarai is barren – more significant that Abraham – since he has seven more children after Sarah dies too.)

Read 12:1-3. God devotes more than a dozen chapters to Abraham. He is important as Abram is . . .

1. The father of (the Jews – through which Jesus comes)

2. Abram typifies how God (deals with every sinner.)

Note the source and direction of the conversation. What can we learn from it? (God establishes contact and makes the contract with man apart from his doing. Can’t just walk into his palace and make demands of Him.)

How does God motivate 75 year old Abram to leave family and country? How is this typical? (with promises – doesn’t just demand and deal with us like sheep or cows.)

List some different promises that God makes to Abram –

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How is Abram’s name now “great”? (Father of Jews, believers, faith – friend of God – ancestor of Christ – even clung to by unbelieving Muslims.)

Why is the final promise so important to us? (we are a part of those people who are blessed.)

How were all of these promises ultimately fulfilled? (In Christ – saved by faith – same way we are.)

Note how also God blesses through . . . (his chosen people – the fountain through which God pours blessings of salvation on the nations.)

Read 12:4-7. What is simplistically awesome about vs. 4? (Abram left. Faith acted. Didn’t question.)

Genesis 35:3-4 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone." So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem.

Joshua 24 – to renew the covenant: Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

Acts 7: Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.

Think about vs. 6-7. What would have been your reaction? How did Abram react? (not a theology of glory – worship even though land was for his DESCENDANTS.)

2 Corinthians 12:14 Children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

Read 12:8-9. This is a further journey SOUTH. Throughout the journey Abram is . . . (publicly declaring his faith in a land of heathens.) (CF. MAP!)

Jeske: Remember that Moses originally wrote the book of Genesisfor the ancient people of Israel, who at the time had not yet entered the land. Can you imagine how mentioning the names of cities which they would one day inhabit would awaken anticipation for their new home? Each of the historic spots Abram visited and where he worshiped would have special meaning for his descendants when they one day occupied the homelandg had picked out for them.

Negev = (way to the south – rocky and arid area.)

Read 12:10-20. What does this show us about Abram? (fearful and selfish, not a fully developed faith at this point.)

What does this show us about Sarai? (beautiful; submissively trusting in the Lord – even when wronged by husband – extreme example.)

1 Peter 3:3-6 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

What does this show us about the LORD? (God of free and faithful grace . . . doesn’t base his mercy on our behavior.)

Look back at 10. This is the first of several momentous trips to Egypt. What are the others? (Joseph – brothers – family – precursors to Jesus.)

Jeske: Egypt practiced irrigation agriculture. In ancient times the Nile River, swollen by snowmelt from the interior of Africa, each year brought life-giving water and nutrients down through the valley of the Nile, that green five percent of Egypt’s territory that supported the other ninety-five percent, and made Egypt the breadbasket of the Mediterranean world. (PB 124)

Note vs. 17. “the LORD” = (God of free and faithful grace – comes to the rescue – somehow Pharaoh knew it or was divined the truth.)

Why might Abraham’s behavior surprise us after all that happened prior to this? (passes in the big things – moving and going to Canaan – but then fails in this little thing.)

What can we learn from it? (reflect your faith NOT ONLY IN SALVATION – but also in your marriage / with your kids / your bills, etc.)

Luther: Satan will climb the fence where it’s lowest.