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The Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

The Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide. Bible Study Program – GENESIS OVERVIEW (12). THE CALL OF ABRAHAM God has always sought after a p eople who would come out from Among the world and be separate from it; therefore, in the confusion

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The Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide

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  1. The Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide Bible Study Program – GENESIS OVERVIEW (12)

  2. THE CALL OF ABRAHAM God has always sought after a people who would come out from Among the world and be separate from it; therefore, in the confusion of tongues at Babel, we see the early plan of God in separating a people unto Himself.

  3. The Call of Abraham is echoed throughout Scripture and we find the most excellent example of that Call in the following: 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Cor 6:17-18 (KJV) When men gather together for power and social advantage, they neglect their duty to God being distracted by the false and synthetic lights of the city. A great American Founding Father noted: "When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe." -- Thomas Jefferson

  4. The Call. A. Get thee out of thy country. B. From thy kindred and family. C. Unto a land I will show thee.

  5. 1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee Gen 12:1 (KJV) This verse represents a cardinal point of change in Biblical direction – the remainder of the Holy Scriptures center on Abraham and His promised Seed in Christ. If Abraham is not our spiritual Father in Christ, we have no relationship in Christ, for all who are the spiritual Seed, are the children of Abraham indeed. Many misapply the promises to the Seed of Abraham in accord with the Law (i.e. PHYSICAL seed) instead of the Spirit (i.e. the faith of Christ)

  6. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal 3:28-29 (KJV) Many good Christian people still look to the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and the resumption of animal sacrifices as a promise of Christ’s return. What could be more blasphemous than a resumption of animal sacrifices? Does it not demean that once-and-for-all sacrifice made by Christ for all who believe? So God calls Abraham out from among those separated nations of the world to be a peculiarly separated people unto Himself. He has called the New Testament Church out in the same way.

  7. I will quote an introduction of Genesis 12 from the Commentary of the great Matthew Henry: The pedigree and family of Abram we had an account of in the foregoing chapter; here the Holy Ghost enters upon his story, and henceforward Abram and his seed are almost the only subject of the sacred history. In this chapter we have, I. God's call of Abram to the land of Canaan (v. 1-3). II. Abram's obedience to this call (v. 4, 5). III. His welcome to the land of Canaan (v. 6-9). IV. His journey to Egypt, with an account of what happened to him there. Abram's flight and fault (v. 10-13). Sarai's danger and deliverance (v. 14-20). (end of quote)

  8. “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Gen 12:2-3 (KJV) The above is a great promise of God – not only to Abraham – but to Abraham’s seed forever. We already see the constant workings of that Promise in the world among men and nations: those who belong to Christ are blessed above measure. Nations who hold the Lord as their Sovereign are greatly blessed. Those nations who know Christ and abandon Him are brought to depravity and ruin. Does any nation come to mind?

  9. Why is separation from the world such an imperative in the plan of God? When Christian brothers and sisters fellowship together, there exists a beneficial ‘peer pressure’ to righteousness. In the world, the pressures are always toward depravity and Babel. 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Heb10:24-25 (KJV)

  10. 4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. Gen 12:4 (KJV)

  11. You will note Abram’s unquestioned obedeince at the instant of God’s command. Was there any area of the commandment in which Abram’s action was not TOTALLY consistent with God’s Command?

  12. You will note Abram’s unquestioned obedeince at the instant of God’s command. Was there any area of the commandment in which Abram’s action was not TOTALLY consistent with God’s Command? To whom was God’s Commandment addressed? Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee Gen 12:1 (KJV) Did Abram fully comply with this commandment?

  13. Abram did, indeed, get himself out of his own country, didn’t he? But what of the remainder of the commandment? “Get thee out of thy country,” (Abram complies!) “…and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shewthee” (Abram does not comply!) Gen 12:1 (KJV)

  14. Abram obeys God by leaving Ur of the Chaldees, but he cannot bring himself to leave behind his father and others. At this point, Abram’s faith is not developed enough to leave all – father, mother, son, daughter, nephews, etc to follow the perfect will of God. Bringing along his father resulted in a long delay at Haran, and bringing along his nephew, Lot, resulted in internecine quarelling and the destruction of the cities of the plain by the Angel of the Lord. (Sodom, Gomorrah, and three others)

  15. II. The Promise. A. I will make of thee a great nation. B. I will bless thee. 1. I will bless them that bless thee. 2. I will curse them that curse thee. 3. In thee will all of the families be blesses. C. I will make of thee a great nation.

  16. 4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. Gen 12:4-5 (KJV) Abram, as you can see above, did not desire to leave ANYTHING in the old world, but brought all with him to the Land of Promise. He doubted God’s provision and wisdom at this early stage, yet, he would later even be willing to sacrifice his one and only son, Isaac, at God’s command. Every Christian, like, Abram, must grow in faith as he grows in wisdom and knowledge.

  17. III. The Obedience. A. So Abram departed. 1. Lot went with him. 2. He was 75 years old. 3. Sarai his wife went with him. 4. They took all their substance and souls they had gathered in Haran. B. They went to Canaan. 1. They came to Sichem on the plain of Moreh. C. God told Abram unto thy seed I will give this land. 1. They built an altar. D. They moved east of Bethal and built an altar.

  18. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran

  19. 6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. Gen 12:6-7 (KJV) It is noteworthy that Abram relied upon the North Star of the Holy Spirit as his compass during his wonderings. God led him, and Abram followed. It is often difficult for the Christian to blindly follow the will of the Lord, but wait, I speak amiss. When we follow the Lord, even if we know not the destination, we follow the very best Light. When we follow our own vision, we are truly blind.

  20. This poem was a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The opening four lines were used by her husband, King George VI, to open his Christmas address to the nation in 1939, just a few months after the start of World War II: • "The Gate of the Year" by Minnie Haskins 1908 • I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' • And he replied, 'Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of GodThat shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!' • So I went forth and finding the Hand of GodTrod gladly into the nightHe led me towards the hillsAnd the breaking of day in the lone east. • So heart be still!What need our human life to knowIf God hath comprehension? • In all the dizzy strife of thingsBoth high and low,God hideth his intention."

  21. 6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him Gen 12:6-7 (KJV) In our wonderings, we need the patience and trust of Abram. Though we know not where the Lord is leading, yet we follow that Star of Light which is the Holy Spirit. By and by, He will meet us and promise His blessings. Where God meets us, there should we also worship.

  22. “…… and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.” Gen 12:7 (KJV)

  23. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. Gen 12:8-9 (KJV) Abram could not have been closer to God than at Bethel – in the Hebrew: Beyth-'El (House of God), as in Bethlehem-Judah (House of Bread and Praise). Often, in our Christian walk, we come to the best place of service, but choose to listen to our own voice instead of that of God. Often great faith-based churches are begun by pious believers, yet, in the building of the structure, Christ is forgotten and the grandeur of the building takes precedence.

  24. You will remember the story of Naomi, and her husband, who left the House of Bread and Praise (Bethlehem-Judah) because there was famine there. They left the place of blessing for the land of a pure famine of the Word of the Lord. We never gain worthy benefits when we desert the place to which the Lord has called us. 1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. Ruth 1:1-5 (KJV)

  25. 10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. 13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. Gen 12:10-13 (KJV) Famine most generally is the consequence of not following after God’s Word. Where famine exisits, that is the place God most needs His people so that repentance and prayer may alleviate the famine. Abram choses another course – his own – which leads to danger, trouble, and sin. Egypt is symbollic of the land of bondage and sin in Holy Writ.

  26. Abram now stoops to encouraging his wife to lie on his own behalf. Judge not Abram harshly, for we all have fallen short of the righteousness of God.

  27. 14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. 15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. Gen 12:14-16 (KJV) When the world treat us with kindness and deference, it is usually because they desire to use and abuse us. This was the lesson that the Prodigal Son learned out of his rebellion against his loving father – a lesson that we all learn often in hard trials.

  28. If the child of God is reluctant to follow the kind urgings of the Lord, He may choose the more forceful hand of the wicked to whip us into place. 17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had. Gen 12:17-20 (KJV) God PUNISHES the wicked and CHASTISES the righteous!

  29. TOMORROW’S LESSON WILL COVER THE 13TH CHAPTER OF GENESIS – Abram and Lot return out of Egypt and agree to Separate Gen 13:1

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