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the nations of the earth. It is the same grace which saves and separates the be liever today. God means to have His grace magnified, whether it be in His dealings with nations or with individuals. IV. T he P romise in the C all (2, 3). The promise contained in these verses is conditional, while the covenant between God and Abram, entered into at a later date, was unconditional. Before it could be fulfilled, the promise necessarily re quired separation from the idolatry in which Abram was then involved (cf. Josh. 24:2, 3; 2 Cor. 6:17, 18). The answer to the promise was made in faith (cf. Heb. 11:8; Acts 7:1-6). No other method was possible, because of the nature of the case ; and thus it is with promises made to us. Much confusion would be avoided if we would remember that, in the final analysis, faith is nothing but a response to a revelation. Before God speaks, we know not what He thinks, nor what He wishes. But after He has spoken, we know both what He thinks and what He desires. In the measure that faith is present, we understamd what He thinks, and we do what He desires. The opening words of verse 4 reveal Abram’s faith : “So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him.” The nature of the promise is sevenfold, and each of the seven portions should be carefully considered in class. The cer tainty of its fulfillment is seen in the thrice-repeated “I will” of God. The per sonal character of it is found in the seven fold use of the personal pronouns “thee” and “thou.” And the purpose of it is through Abram, to extend blessing to all the families of the earth. Thus Abram was invited to greatness by way- of sep aration. The blessing provided for each of us is no less, and through us the bless ing to others is no less than that enjoyed by Abram, but, as in his case, it all hinges upon separation from former objectives to entirely new ones. V: T he A cceptance of the C all (4-9). “And Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him.” He separated from all the old life and associations. He moved out, as under sealed orders, “not knowing whither he went.” To nature, this is thé most difficult thing to do; uncertainty and suspense are the hardest things to bear. We want to know. It is sometimes said, “I cannot bear this suspense ! I want to know the worst; that would be better than this uncertainty.” But when God speaks, faith bows the head and follows Him, wholly satisfied that He “doeth all things well.” Faith obeys where it cannot understand, and follows where it cannot see. Thus it lead? to blessing. Abram’s obedience not only moved him self, but it influenced others also. “Lot went with him.” It would have been bet ter had Lot gone with the Lord; but even so, he was included in some of Abram’s blessing because he went with him. The faith that fully obeys the voice of God will always have a beneficial influence in the lives of others. Abram was fully assured of the fulfill ment of the promise. “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance." He left nothing behind, and therefore had nothing to turn back to in the future.' A new life had be gun, and the old was dead and buried. By faith, Abram obeyed the Lord’s command,
BLACKBOARD LESSON MOW TO BE A BLESSING -— "B y doing the vill or your . FATHER, a. blessing obey tfie L0RD-Deu..u,a7 B y being filled w ith the SPIRIT it is tKe .SPIRIT RuldLenitfA .JoCn.t,t3 B y shedding abroad the love of GOD let sjour LtQjRt so sRine be(ore men. ■ tiia.t tRe\j m&xfsee...aoid^yToeljl/ GOD and he was committed irrevocably to God’s program, whatever that might be. This does not mean that he was perfect and without fault; there would doubtless be days when he would find himself out of touch with the Lord and walking contrary to the Lord’s word, but the whole trend of his life was from this time forward toward the Lord. Thus he became the pattern for all who hear the voice of God calling them to separation from the old life unto an en tirely new life, with new aims, new objec tives, and new purposes. Abram’s acceptance of God’s program was deliberate and complete: “into Canaan they came.” The word “Canaan” is from a verb meaning “to be low” or “humilia tion.” To walk with God means that one must come down. By nature, man is proud, and he unconsciously considers him self superior even to God. It is with a sense of humiliation that one steps out in faith. But such an one is not separated merely to a place, but to a Person in that place, and the Person is never found until the place is reached. Hence, verse 7 says that when Abram reached the place, “the Lord appeared unto him.” If we would have the conscious presence of the Lord, we must see to it that we are in the place chosen for us by Him. Lesson Questions V. 1. What are some of the reasons for the call of Abram? From what was Abram to be separated ? Vs. 2, 3. How many times are the words, “I will,” used, and what do they indicate? To how many people was blessing to’ be extended through Abram? Has the prom ise been completely fulfilled? When will it be? Vs. 4-9. Was it natural for Abram to respond as he did? Who was influ enced by his faith? What is the meaning, of the word “Canaan,” and what is its typical significance? What part has wor ship in the separated life? Golden Text Illustration Among the legends about Abraham which are preserved in certain ancient books is the following dialogue between Nimrod and Abraham: N imrod —“You will not adore the idols of your father ? Then pray to fire.” A braham — “Why may I not pray to wa ter, which will quench fire?” N imrod — “Be it so. Pray to water.” A braham —“But why not to the clouds, which hold the water?” N imrod — “Well, then, pray to the clouds.” A braham — “Why not to the wind, which drives the clouds before it?” N imrod — -“Then pray to the wind.” , A braham — “Be not angry, O king. I cannot pray to the fire, or the water, or the clouds, or the wind, but to the Creator who
made them: Him only will I worship.” On another occasion, Abraham is said to have left a cave in which he had dwelt, and stood on the face of the desert. When he saw the sun shining in all its glory, he was filled with wonder, and he thought, “Sure ly the sun is God the Creator” ; and he knelt down and worshiped the sun. But when evening came, the sun went down in the west, and Abraham said, “No, the Author of creation cannot set.” Now the moon arose in the east, and the stars looked out of the sky. Then said Abraham, “This moon must indeed be God, and all the stars are His host.” And kneeling down, he adored the moon. But the moon set also, and from the east appeared once more the sun’s bright face. Then said Abraham, “Verily, these heaven ly bodies are no gods, for they obey law: I will worship Him whose laws they obey.” r—CHILDHOOD OF THE WORLD. Abram Leaving Home Genesis 12:1-7 Memory Verse : “I will bless thee . . . • be thou a blessing” (Gen. 12:2). Approach : A great many years had passed since Adam and Eve left the gar den of Eden, and a great many people had been born upon this earth. There were Lesson Story. There was a man’named Abram, whom God wanted to be the foun der of a great nation. But Abram lived in one of the countries where the people didn’t worship God. God wanted Abram to move away from there. So He told Abram that, if he would leave his country, He, God, would show him a new country, and He said, “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shaft be a blessing.” It must have been a hard thing for Ab ram to leave his home and his friends and to take just his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot and his flocks and herbs and start off for a strange and distant country. It was dangerous to travel in those days.' The people went on foot or rode on the backs of camels. It was a long and weary way. But Abram was not afraid, and he was willing to go because he believed what God had told him. God had given him His promise, and Abram believed that He would keep it. Because he believed this, he has been called “faithful Abra ham.” Many years afterward, Paul wrote about him, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing, whither he went.” « / V i s * » * Wishes that are not turned into prayers irritate, disturb, unsettle. Wishes that are turned into prayers are calmed and made blessed. Troubles, great or small, should be turned into prayers. —A lexander M aclaren . so many that they l i v e d in different countries a n d e v e n spoke different lan guages. Some of the people were good, and some were bad. Some worshiped the true God, and some didn’t worship any god —\ they worshiped the sun or the moon or . the stars.
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