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when it appeared as though he never would have any. But he had believed God and rested in the promise (cf. Rom. 4:18-21). Stephen also stated that, later, Abraham was told the history of the nation he would begin. That nation would be taken to a strange land to remain therevfour hundred years, during which time they would be brought into bondage and be harshly treated. But at last God would bring them into the land that had been promised, and would also judge the nation that treated them harshly. All this came to paSs exactly as it was told Abraham, whose obedience made possible the fulfillment of the purposes Of God. The obedience that fulfills God’s purposes must always spring from faith in God’s Word. Hi. A braham ’ s P osterity (A cts 7:12-17) Stephen rehearsed the history of Isjael up to the point where Joseph, the son of Jacob, was sold into Egypt, Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, was established in Canaan, but the proph ecy of thè four hundred years in Egypt remained to be fulfilled. By the providence of God a famine spread over the earth. Only in Egypt was food to be found, and that because of the God-directed wisdom and work of Joseph. Joseph, a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, was the only man who could save bpth the world (Egypt) and his own family and nation. When Jacob heard there was food in Egypt, he sent his sons to procure it. This was the step that led to the four hundred years of sojourn in Egypt. To that land went Jacob, his family, and substance; there he died and all his generation. But God had spoken of a time when His people would come out of Egypt, and that time drew near-. The people multiplied in spite of all that the Egyptian Pharaoh could do to ex terminate them. Because of Abraham’s faith, his posterity became a multi tude, forming the nucleus of the na tion to dwell in Palestine and fulfill God’s purpose of being a witness to all the earth. Points and Problems 1. "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house" (Gen. 12:1). The way of blessing and service is the way of separation. In order for Abraham to fulfill God’s purpose for his life, he had to become separated from the land where he had been living and from all of its associations. Abra- “ ham’s home land was a country of idolatry and sin. If he would follow God, he must make a clean break with the past and strike out into a
friend in America. She sent im mediately for Kara, who met the mes-’ senger halfway. When Kara reached the teacher, she said: “We both prayed to God, so I thought I might as well start!” Faith sees the things for which we ask as already in our possession,— Best Modern Illustrations, by Hallock. Living in Tents G enesis 18:1-8,; 16 “God . .. careth ' MEMORY VERSE: for you” (1 Pet. 5:6, 7). AIM: To teach that we can show our love for Jesus by being friendly to others. APPROACH: Many years before the Lord Jesus was bom, there lived a flBSB his w i f e, Sarah, H H B lived at one time in a dry, hot coun- ________ try. T h e i r home 5 b l Y I S I O r \ was very simple. It was just a tent. LESSON STORY: One day Abraham was sitting in his tent door, and he •saw three men coming toward him. He ran to meet them, for he was pleased to have company. To show that he respected his visitors, he "bowed .himself toward the ground” (v. 2)., Abraham knew that the Lord wanted him to show kindness to anyone who came to his home, for in that way people would come to know that God was Abraham’s heavenly Father. Per haps Abraham said to these three visitors, “My friends, you are very welcome here in my tent-home.” He brought water to wash their feet that were dusty from having traveled over the hot sand. “Rest yourselves under the tree,” he said (v. 4), and while they waited, he and Sarah prepared a good meal for them. Abraham did not know at first that these visitors were messengers from the Lord. They did not look like an gels, but they brought a message to Abraham frdm God. They told him that he and Sarah were to have a little son. How glad Abraham must have been that he had shown kindness to the ones who had come to visit him! It always pays to be friendly to others for Jesus’ sake. Object Lesson T he H eart of a H ero OBJECTS: A paper heart. (Use a piece of paper 8% x 11 inches. Two and five-eights inches from each end, fold toward the middle. There will be a gap of Yt of an inch Between the 'R l m a n whose name was Abraham. The Bible says he was “the friend of God” (Jas.<£:23). He and 1 ^-, D
BLACKBOARD LESSON
new way. The principle is the same today. Those who would be used of God must know t h e meaning of separation from the world and its idols (cf. Rom. 12:1, 2). 2. "Thou shalt be a blessing" (v. 2). The Lord has already made good this promise and will manifest more fully its truth in future days. Through Abraham and his seed have come the Word of God (Rom. 3:2), th.e Messiah and Saviour (Isa. 53), the establish ment of the church (Acts 2), and thb great channel of blessing for the world (Rom. 15:8-12). The hopes for the future of this world are all tied up in Abraham. Indirectly, an appli cation of ¿his promise may be made to every believer. Those who separate themesleves from sin unto God will be a blessing in the world. Their ministry shall bring forth fruit (John 15:5). 3. "Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Chor ran" (Acts 7:4). Called out of the land of Ur, Abraham tarried at Haran. The verse in Genesis 12:5 indicates that he tarried there for quite some time. Thus, up to this point his obedience was incomplete. Why he tarried we cannot say. Perhaps Terah, his father, was not in full sympathy with Abra ham in his venture. We note that it was not until after Terah had died that Abraham traveled on to the Promised Land. It seems evident that Abraham received two calls, one at Ur. and the other at Haran, both of which were needed to bring about his full obedience. There are many who, like Abraham, tarry at Haran, They manifest only partial obedience to the will of God. Not Haran, but Canaan is the object toward which the believer should strive. One of India’s orphan girls, Kara, fearing' slavery and worse, asked her missionary teacher to take her home with her. The teacher replied, “We have no room, and no money to build more, but you ask God to enable us to take you, and I too, will pray.” That night the teacher received a personal gift of ten dollars from a Golden Text Illustration H ebrews 11:8
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