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THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM: PART I

“Introduction and Calling”

Genesis 11:27-12:9

Other Relevant Verses: Joshua 24:2; Acts 7:2-4; Hebrews 11:8-12

 

I. Series Introduction: Out of Idolatry, Into God’s Will (11:27-32)

 

I hope not to bore you too much with introduction, because I want to get to the story, but there is some important context you need to know about the story of Abraham before we go on. But before we even do the introduction, I want to tell you what my aim is here and why I want to do this study. I think we often de-emphasize the story element of the Old Testament. Because if God is what we say he is, he should at the very least be a good storyteller, right?   But I think sometimes we’ve been taught these stories in a dry way, and so we dread the Old Testament. But if we approach these stories as precursors and foreshadowing in narrative of the glory that was to come in Christ, these old familiar narratives can become thrilling.

 

I usually preach expository lessons, that is my favorite kind of sermon, and it is the kind of sermon that I like to hear most, personally. But what I’m aiming to do tonight is something a little different. We are going to go through the life of Abraham in this series, but we are not going to focus so much on the text as we would in an expository lesson, but we will focus on the story and the drama of the story, by trying to gather everything we can know about Abraham and put ourselves in his shoes. And I think what we are going to find is that as Abraham walks with God and as he progresses in closeness to God in faith, he becomes a picture of us. So we are going to approach this series of lessons, trying to walk side by side with Abraham and see what he saw and feel what he felt, and try to understand him and his relationship with God, and what this story means to us, and specifically to our relationship with Christ.

 

Okay, so with all that being said, Introduction, context. Read Genesis 11:27-32 J. The first thing I want us to note is the setting and date of this story. And the date is important because this was a transition period in global history.  So the place Abram is called from is a city called Ur. Okay, I said all that to say, this is the culture that God drew Abram out of. And it seems he was powerful there. There is a strong Jewish tradition that Abram came from a family of idol worshipers and I think this is correct. Look at Joshua 24:2; Act 7:2-4 Abram progresses from idolator to worshiper of God.

 

People wonder why God chose Abram. Your guess is as good as mine. The truth is, God cooperates with man in the broad narrative of the Bible, and we will see this in the story of Abram. Okay, also a few quick logistical things here, I’m going to try to call Abram, Abram until God re-brands him to the world, because I think that is a point of dramatic emphasis in the story. Finally, we see Haran, the brother of Abram dies preceding his father Terah, and they all move to Haran. That brings us up to the beginning of chapter 12, which is really the proper beginning of the Abram story.

 

II. The Command: Go! (12:1)

Now just in the opening phrase of this first sentence “Now the Lord said,” there is already a tremendous debate in the commentaries over just that first phrase. Because the sense of the original Hebrew seems to actually be more like, “Now the Lord had said,” and this version of events is confirmed in Stephen’s summary in Acts 7:2-4.

So God had appeared to Abraham in Ur of Mesopotamia and said to him, “Go.” But then notice the specifics of the command in verse 1. Go from your country (get out of Mesopotamia), and your kindred (this means ethnic group, extended family) and your father’s house (the family of Tarah, who likely were all idol worshipers).  God said leave your people, those of like heritage. Don’t consider yourself one of them anymore.  And God told Abram to leave behind his father’s house.

 

Now, I want you to notice what doesn’t happen. God says go to the land that I will show you, and the land he was showing Abram was Canaan, the future dwelling place of his descendants. But this is a time when the Canaanite culture dominated the land, and they shared in the idolatry that Abram had just come out of. We’re going to see that in a moment.

 

III. The Threefold Promise (12:2-3)

Great nation. This can mean nation in the sense of people, as in an ethnic group or groups of people, or in the sense of a great state. Name great. God also said he would make Abraham’s name great. And that even broadens Abram’s promise and the impact of this promise. Blessing—every nation. Finally God promised Abram that he would become a blessing, and God explains what this means, that those who bless or honor Abram will be blessed. And the one who does not will not be cursed. And so here Abram becomes a picture of how God the father relates to mankind through the son.

 

IV. The Centrality of Family (12:4-5)

Let’s note the centrality of family to this story. This is a family story, and through the time and culture may be different, Abram’s family was much like ours. And let’s also note that Abram is already a very wealthy and notable man. He had many possessions and people.

 

V. An Altar of Expectation at Shechem (12:6-7)

Abram comes to this oak at Moreh. In ancient pagan practices old trees and rivers and mountains and planets and stars were all seen as holy places to be worshiped and at which to worship. What was high, what was old, what was unchangeable was called a god. But the one God of heaven appears to Abram, who was called out of a pagan culture, and says, “I am the ancient of days. I am older than any of these places where men worship.” And Abram builds an altar of worship in this place, for the Lord.

 

VI. Abram: The Nomad Who Drops “Breadcrumbs” for God (12:8-9)

We see Abram continue on to Bethel and Ai, where he builds another Alter. And keep in mind, he isn’t even staying. Abram will live a nomadic life this whole story. But wherever he goes he is dropping breadcrumbs for God. He is establishing the conditions necessary for worship in this land that his children will inherit. Now remember how in the beginning, we said this was a time of transition and instability. The power center of the world is shifting from Mesopotamia to Egypt, and there is a famine in the land.  So Abram could have said, what’s up God? Where’s the nice stuff in my land that you said you would give me? But instead, Abram is resourceful.

 

But we’ll see next week, Abram has not yet learned to lean on God wherever he is.

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