THE K I NG ’ S BUSINESS
257
July, 1942
INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commentary; Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson Children's Division • Object Lesson Golden Text Illustration BytB. B. S utcliffe By G retchen S ibley By H^ len F razee -B ower By E lmer L. W ilder By A lan S. P earcb Pbints and Problems By A lva J. M c C lain , President of Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind.
God is difficult for human nature to make, but it issues in blessing from the Lord. Nature shrinks from uncer- s tainty and suspense.' Abram’s obedience influenced oth ers. His nephew Lot also went forth with him. It should be noted that Abram went with the Lord, Lot with Abram. Abram’s faith in God’s prom ise was manifested when he ‘ went out with “ all their substance,” 'and left nothing behind. He began & new life in which he was wholly commit ted to God», whatever the program might be or wherever it might lead. Abram’s obedience was complete; “ into the land of Canaan they came.” The word “Canaan” comes from a root meaning “ low” or “humiliation.” Only in true humiliation can one meet God —and God was waiting there for Abram. The Lord’s servant went forth, not in separation to a place, merely, but to a Person. The Person was not met until the place was reached. Abram’s obedience brought him into a realm of danger (v. 6), but also into the place of the presence of the Lord (v. 7). He built an .altar “ and called upon the name of the Lord” (v. 8). The altar and the tent are symbols of the man of faith. The altar signifies the presence of the Lord, and the tent speaks of the pilgrim character 'of tHe man of faith. III. H H A bram ' s F aith (Heb. 11:8-12) Abram’s faith affected his walk; "he went out, not knowing whither he went.” He walked in the path of God’s choosing to the place appointed by God. His faith affected his outlook; he dwelt in tents, while all the time looking for the city that hath founda tions. His faith affected all future genera tions (vs-. 11, 12). Sarah entered with him into the life of faith and became the mother of all Abram’s seed, a multitude “ as the stars of the sky” (which some think refers to the church, the body of Christ) and as the “ sand which is by , the seasjiore” (which evidently refers to the earthly -people of God). How far-reaching was Abram’s—and every man’s—obedience to the command of God! : Points and Problems / - 1. "Now the Lord had said';, (Gen. 12:1). What God said here had to do
AUGUST 2, 1942 ABRAM: A PIONEER IN FAITH G enesis 11:31 to 12:9; H ebrews 11:8-12
Genesis 12 il Now the Lord had said unto Abram» Get; thee out of thy coun try» and from thy kindred» and from thy father’s house» unto a land that' 1 will •how thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great na tion» and I will bless thee» and make thy name greats and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee» and curse him that curseth thee: and in thefe. shall all families of the earth be blessed. 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. 6 And Abram took Sara! his wife» and Lot his brother’s Son» and all their sub stance that they had ' gathered, and the pouls that they had gotten in Haran; and thejf Went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. 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. 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. 8 And lib removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel» and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hal on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the'Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when lie was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an in heritance, ;obeyed; and he Went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwell ing in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of. the same promise: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11 Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore in numerable. LESSON TEXTi Gen. 12:1-9! Hebrew. 11 : 8 - 12 . GOLDEN TEXT! “Fear not, Abram: 1 am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward” (Gen. 15:1). DEVOTIONAL READING: PSa. 25:1-6. Outline and Exposition I. . A bram ’ s C al l . (Gen. 12:1-3) jt I '"^HE CALL to Abram was to 1 leave the known for the un- A known. It was “from” and “to.” It came when the human race, includ ing Abram’s family,.was in idolatry (cf. Josh. 24:2). The purpose of the call was to provide on earth a reposi tory for the truth, a channel through which the seed of the woman should
BLACKBOARD JLESSON
come (cf. Gen. 3:15) ; and it was also to furnish a witness for God to the nations. Through Israel, the former two purposes have been fulfilled (cf. Rom. 3:1, 2; 9:5); the third awaits fulfillment (cf. Zech. 8:18-23). The call was by the sovereign choice of God. All were sinners and all were in idolatry; whatever choice God made had to be upon other grounds than the worthiness of the one chosen (cf/Deut. 7:7, 8). Abram and his de scendants were not chosen because they were better than others. Along with the call there went the promise (vs. 2, 3). This separation was necessary because of the univer sal idolatry (cf. Josh. 24:2, 3). The answer to the call would necessarily be by faith (cf. Acts 7:1-5). The sevenfold promise should be examined carefully. The certainty of it is seen in the “I will” repeated three times; the personal character of it is seen in the personal pronouns “ thee,” “thy,” “ thou,” used seven times, and the extent of it is seen in that it embraces all the. families of II. A bram ’ s R esponse (Gen. 12:4-9) Abram’s acceptance of and obedi ence to the call is made known in the word “ departed.” It was as though he went out under sealed or ders, not knowing whither he went. This kind of response to the call of [Lesson material is based on outlines of International Sunday School Lessons copyrighted by. the International Coun cil of Religious Education and is used by its permission. - Scripture portions quoted are from the King James Ver- sion unless otherwise stated.] the earth.
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