THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
April, 1937
134
IN T E R N A T IO N A L L E S S O N Commentary Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson Children’s Division Golden Text Illustration Object Lesson B y B. B. S utcliffe B y G retchen S ibley B y H elen G ailey B y A lan S. P earce B y E lmer L. W ilder Points and Problems B y A lva J. M c C lain , Dean, Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio
MAY 2, 1937 ABRAHAM A MAN OF FAITH G enesis 11:27 to 20:18
upon God for whatever God might have for him. And the word was not long in reaching him (vs. 14-17). Abram received the promise of the land, which was given outright to him and to his seed after him. The whole was theirs forever. The prom ise has never been recalled; and that great land, under whatever mandate it may rest for the time being, belongs to Abram’s seed; it was given to them by the great Owner of all things, the Lord Himself. Abram acknowledged the gift by his ac tions (v. 18). He dwelt in Mamre, the place of “supply,” in the plain of Hebron, the place of “communion” ; and there he built an altar unto the Lord. By means of communion with the Lord there is al ways full supply. And with that satisfac tion comes worship which rises as incense before the Lord. It is the place that faith alone may occupy, the place to which the Lord leads when He calls His people forth. Points and Problem s 1. The- importance of Abraham in hu man history often is not fully realized. He is revered by the adherents of three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Moham medanism, and Christianity. To the Jew, Abraham is both the father of the race and the founder of its religion. In the Moslem Koran, the name of Abraham is mentioned in 188 verses ; he is regarded as a prophet of God and the ancestor of the Arab race. In the New Testament his name occurs 74 times, and some of the most important doctrines of the Christian faith are inseparably connected with his life and history (cf. John 8:56; Acts 7:2; Rom. 4; 1-16; Gal. 3:6-18; Heb. 11:8-19; Jas. 2: 21-23). 2. “Now the Lord had said unto Abram” (Gen. 12:1). This pluperfect rendering of the verb, while not required by the Hebrew, was doubtless made because of Stephen’s words in the passage in Acts 7:2, 3, R. V.: “The God of glory appeared unto our fa ther Abraham, when he was in Mesopo tamia, before he dwelt in Haran.” This call mentioned by Stephen accounts for the removal of Abraham from Ur to Haran as recorded in Genesis 11:31. God evidently had called him at Ur originally, and then again at Haran (cf. Gen. 15:7). 3. "Get thee out . . . from thy father’s house” (Gen. 12:1). The original call at Ur was not fully obeyed. Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees “to go into the land of Canaan” (11:31), but his relatives went with him. He did not separate himself from his “kindred” as commanded. And this initial mistake led to a second mistake, namely, the stop at Haran. While the Bible does not specifically say so, it is very prob able that the influence of Abraham’s father and family led to the settlement at Haran. According to Genesis 11:31, Terah is the
Abram. The one who truly walks with God will influence others also. Assured of the validity of the promise, Abram took with him “Sarai . . . . and all their substance” (v. 5). He left behind noth ing that might entice him to forsake God’s place for him and to return to the old scenes. They went forth to go into the land of Canaan ; and into the land of Canaan they came." Theirs was a delib erate and complete transfer of residence. Canaan comes from a word meaning “to bring low,” that is, “to humiliate.” But in the place of humiliation, Abram was to find God’s presence. Abram was called to separation, not merely to a place, but primarily to a Person. And that Person could not be known until the place of humiliation had been reached. Abram’s faith brought him into danger because “the Canaanite was then in the land” (v. 6). But the danger was ob scured by fhe glorious fact that “the Lord appeared unto Abram” there (v. 7). The Lord had spoken before ; now He ap peared, and Abram knew he had come to the place of which God had said: “I will show thee.” Furthermore, God de-, dared to Abram: “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” Immediately Abram built ah altar there and worshiped. No tice that the altar was built because of the presence of the Lord, not to secure that presence. Beside his altar Abram pitched his tent. These two—the altar and the tent—characterize the one who walks with God. The worshiper is a wanderer and a stranger, a pilgrim and a witness. Viewed from the natural standpoint, Abram was in less comfort able circumstances now than when he was in his own country. But to the eye of faith, all was transformed and Abram was, at the command of God,- the pos sessor of all he beheld. III. T hè P romise to F aith (13:14-18) Lot, : choosing by sight, had separated himself from Abram. But Abram waited BLACKBOARD LESSON
Lesson Text: Genesis 12:1-9; 13:14-18. Golden Text: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed” (Heb. 11:8). Outline and Exposition I. T he C all for F aith (12:1-3) M en had fallen into the sin of idolatry. This fact made neces sary God’s calling forth a witness. Accordingly, Abram was called from the idolatry of his country, his kindred, and his father’s house, to a place selected by God. The call evidenced God’s sovereign grace, extended to Abram, for all men were sinners, even as they are today. The call was accompanied by a seven fold promise (vs. 2, 3). In its fulfillment, Abram would experience greatness as a result of his separation unto God. Abram’s response to the call would bear a direct relation to his personal estima tion of the One who called. If he be lieved that God 'meant what He said, that He would be true to His word, and that He was able to fulfill His promise, Abram would exhibit no hesitancy in stepping forth in faith. The desire to walk by sight indicates in the child of God a con scious or an unconscious suspicion that God does not mean what He says, or that He will not be able to abide by His own word. The call to faith is ever the same. There must be a response in the human heart. The moment the call is obeyed, the pres ence and power of God are felt. II. T he O bedience of F aith (12:4-9) Abram obeyed the command of God, not knowing his destination (v. 4 ; cf. Heb. 11:8). But he was confident that he was going in accordance with the word of the Lord to the “land that I will show thee” (v. 1). This method of advancing by faith is, to the natural man, uncertainty. Uncertainty is one of the hardest things with which the natural man has to con tend. But true faith rests on the bare word of God, being assured that the coming days will bring the fulfillment of God’s promise and purpose. Abram’s faith not only actuated him, but it influenced others as well: “Lot Went with him” (v. 4). Abram went with God; Lot went with [These lessons are developed from out lines prepared by the Committee on Im proved Uniform Lessons of the Interna tional Council. The outlines are copy righted by the International Council of Religious Education and used by permis sion. —E ditor .]
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