Sermon on the Call of Abraham – Studies in Genesis

1. God’s command to Abram was simple, “Go.”

2. Hebrews 11:8 says “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.”

3. Traveling was dangerous business in those days.

4. Moreover, there was the matter of sustenance to consider.

5. Abram didn’t have advanced information on where he was headed.

6. Nevertheless, he went and obeyed.

7. Faithful obedience to God’s commands are fundamental in man’s salvation (Hebrews 5:9).

8. Israel also had to learn how to obey God after coming out of the land of Egypt.

1. God’s command to Abram to God was not without promise.

2. We see a great seven-fold promise to Abram in Genesis 12:2-3.

1) I will make of you a great nation.

2) I will bless you.

3) I will make your name great.

4) You will be a blessing.

5) I will bless them that bless you.

6) I will curse them that curse you.

7) In you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.

3. God’s promises are fulfilled in God’s time. Consider Hebrews 6:13-15 “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”

4. God’s promise to Abram here begins God’s plan for man’s salvation through the nation of Israel.

5. Paul writes in Galatians 4:28 “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”

6. This promise that God makes to Abram is the most significant promise in pre-Christian history.

7. In Christ, we have a greater promise, John writes, “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 John 2:25).

1. Abram, Sarai, Lot, and Abram’s servants of Haran.

2. This family was the beginning of the nation of Israel.

3. God has always used the family unit to accomplish his purposes.

1) Adam and Eve

2) Noah and Sons

3) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

4) Family of David

5) Joseph and Mary

4. From this family God would bring forth His family/His people.

5. Under the Old Covenant: Deuteronomy 14:2 “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.”

6. Under the New Covenant: 1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

1. God brought Abram to the land of Canaan.

2. It was this land that God would give to Abram’s descendants.

3. The land promise was fulfilled to national Israel under Solomon. 1 Kings 4:21 “And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.”

4. Abram, however, looked for a greater country than mere physical land. Hebrews 11:13-16 states, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

5. Today, God’s promise to Abram is extended in the promise of this better country.

1. Abram built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord.

2. The expression, “Called upon the name of the Lord” is significant.

3. We see it used in the New Testament as well.

4. It encapsulates man’s response of faith to God.

5. Here it is used in Abram’s worship.

6. It was an expression used by David in the Psalms and by the prophets to convey man’s need for God’s salvation.

7. In the New Testament Peter keys upon this expression as used in Joel (Acts 2:21).

8. And Paul declares in Romans 10:10 that those who do this will be saved.

9. Where man has need for salvation, God requires man to have a living and active faith.

1. We see here a bit of the microcosm of the nation of Israel in Abram’s life.

2. As the children of Israel descended into Egypt, so also did Abram.

3. Abram’s concern is for his and his families’ safety.

4. He directs Sarai to tell Pharoah that she is his sister.

5. This was a half-truth (Genesis 20:12).

6. This displayed a lack of faith on the part of Abram to trust in God’s promise.

7. The Bible displays character flaws of all mere men including Abram (1 John 1:8).

1. God was able, however, to use this situation in Egypt as an opportunity for Abram.

2. Pharoah gave Abram much goods under the impression that Sarai was his sister.

3. But God sends plagues on Pharoah.

4. When Pharoah discovers the full truth of Sarai and Abram’s relationship, he casts them out of Egypt.

5. Abram leaves Egypt with the goods that Pharoah gave.

6. Here is another microcosm of the events in the nation of Israel.

7. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

1. Once back in the land of Canaan, Lot’s people and Abram’s people have a disagreement.

2. The disagreement concerns property rights.

3. Again, sin creeps in among the people of God in the form of covetousness.

4. Luke 12:15 Jesus said, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man?s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

5. Even among God’s people, there are going to be some disagreements.

6. We must deal with those disagreements based upon God’s word and wisdom.

1. Abram acts with magnanimity.

2. He grants Lot the choice of where to water his herds.

3. Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom where all of the greenery was.

4. Abram went the opposite direction.

5. Abram showed great character here.

6. Philippians 2:3-4 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

1. God reaffirmed His promise to Abram concerning the land.

2. He told Abram to walk through the length and breadth of it.

3. Abram once again showed faith in God by obeying God’s command.

4. Abram learned that he was but a pilgrim in a strange land and so are we today.

5. 1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.”