Answers Bible Curriculum Second Edition Unit 4 Lesson 33
This week in Sunday school, we return to Genesis and meet the important Hebrew patriarch Abram (later Abraham) and see him receive God’s call. Why did God call Abram? Why did Abram obey? How was the salvation promise of Genesis 3:15 moving forward in the life of Abraham? What can we learn from Abram’s experience for our own walk with God? Join us as we look into these important questions and more!
Our main text for this lesson is Genesis 11:27-12:9.
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all right let’s begin good morning welcome to Sunday school I just want to say thank you for any of you or all of you who have been praying for us praying for me as I finished up my semester just had my finals last week turned into my last assignment on Friday Lord has been very gracious and providing for me through providing for us through another semester at the Masters seminary just really grateful for more things that I got to learn the ways I got to grow and thank you for your continued prayers for us I’ll be taking some summer classes so actually the first one starts tomorrow so it’s a just right on as we continue training so we can be more useful to the Lord as we can come back to New Jersey anyways on to today’s lesson today we are talking about Abram that later called Abraham extremely important figure in redemptive history titled today’s class is God calls Abram but briefly let’s mention what we talked about last week last week we talked about Joe and what is the great lesson of the book of Job it’s not merely that one should trust God through suffering that’s true but there’s a nuance to that that we want to emphasize or rather that is emphasized in Joe we must all remember the great difference between us and God and for that reason humble ourselves before him no matter what circumstance in life we find ourselves it’s never rise in our hearts to a position of judging God where we complain about God we question God’s motives we demand an explanation from God for in doing these things we pridefully exalt ourselves even above God but of course this doesn’t mean that we don’t come to God in honest prayer even as many righteous persons do in the scriptures coming to God with sorrow with confusion with hurt with lament and saying to God God I am in great pain I feel very afflicted I am greatly sorrowful I know everything happens according to you will but I do not understand what you are doing you are crushing me you promise to take care of your children but right now it doesn’t look like you’re doing that from what I can see that’s a it’s fine it is even righteous to express those things to God if there’s another side to it it needs to be a but in such expressions if not spoken verbally at least in the heart even as we lament such things to God which should still be able to say in our hearts but Oh God I remember my place but I can’t understand everything from my small perspective you are God you are always wise and good and just there for I wait on you remember my pain and sorrow vindicate my trust in you Oh go show yourself to still be the one who keeps his promises don’t abandon me sustain me in this dark night I know you will hear my prayer Oh God because you are who you are you are my fountain of life and you will be with me even through fire it’s the kind of prayers we want to be praying in such prayers to emphasize the lesson of the book of Job be sure that God’s people will experience great suffering in this world and great sorrow but if we walk by humble faith we will be as Paul says sorrowful yet always what rejoicing second corinthians 6:10 sorrowful yet always rejoicing if we want to steadfast faith and peace and joy a matter the circumstances it comes first of all by our humbling ourselves before God and being satisfied in him alone so let’s not forget the lesson or Joe but we move on from job today to a man who comes after job or may have been living around the same time as job that man is Abram well we’re gonna spend a few lessons alright more than a few lessons on Abram slash Abraham our first lesson is simply on God’s calling of Abram what are we looking at today how did God call Abram how did Abram respond to God’s call why did God call Abram – what did Abram ultimately look in God’s call what was his great hope and how can Abraham’s response and thinking instruct us today and how we ought to live these questions form a rough outline that we’ll be following and exploring in today’s class our text is Genesis 11 verses 27 to 12 9 just one section of scripture rather than a whole book like we did last time let’s pray before we continue our Lord and God we humble ourselves before you now we want to be fed by your word we want to understand it better I want to apply it to our lives but do you want us just as you’re one of the people of Israel to know a lot about this one man and what you did in him and through him we thank you for the testimony there’s record about Abram help me to be able to explain it well help us to be able to understand it and apply it God so that we might have the same kind of faith as he had in Jesus name Amen hey let’s go ahead and read the historical account God’s calling Abram so please take your Bibles open to Genesis 11 Genesis 11 starting verse 27 we’ve actually been in Genesis 11 already in the early part of this passage we have the account at the Tower of Babel rather the city and tower battle and then after that record we have a genealogy that links Shem to Abram and then the text we’re gonna look at starts right after that genealogy we’re gonna pick up at verse 27 it has a little bit more to say about Abraham’s father Terah all right how long and me starting verse 27 will go down to 12 nine now these are the records of the generations of Tara Tara became the father of Abram Nahor and Haran and Iran became the father of lot Ron died and the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth in ur of the chaldeans Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves the name of abraham’s wife was Sarai in the name of neighbor’s wife was Milkha the daughter of Hara the father Milka and Niska sara was barren she had no child Terah took Abram his son and lot the son of Haran his grandson and Sarai his daughter-in-law is son Abraham’s wife and they went out together from herb the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan and they went as far as Iran and settled their days of Terror were 205 years and Terah died in Haran now chapter 12 now Yahweh said to Abram it says the Lord there this is just the name Yahweh now you always said to Abram go forth from your country and from your relatives and from your father’s house to the land which I will show you and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great and so you shall be a blessing and I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed so Abram went forth as Yahweh had spoken to him and lot went with him you know Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Iran Abram took Sarai his wife and lot his nephew and all their possessions which they had accumulated and the persons which they had acquired in Iran and they set out from the land of Canaan thus they came to the land of Canaan Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem to the oak of Moria now the Canaanite was then in the land yahweh appeared to abram and said to your descendants I will give this land so he built an altar there to Yahweh who had appeared to him then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent but Bethel on the West and I on the east and there he built an altar to Yahweh and called upon the name Yahweh Abram journeyed on continuing toward the Negev and that’s well stop let’s start by just making basic observations on our text a lot of information about Abraham’s relatives notice that information mentioned especially beginning the passage kept Terah Abraham’s father Nahor Abraham’s brother Iran Abraham’s other brother he dies in ur we have lot the nephew of Abram also the son of her on Abraham’s brother we have Sarai who is Abraham’s wife and his half-sister not mentioned here but he actually she shares the same father as Abram but a different mother and there’s Milkha the wife of nahor the daughter of her on so that means that she is both Abraham’s sister-in-law and his niece okay I know it’s a lot of complex family relations here’s a little tree to help us understand it you may notice from a quick glance at this that among Abraham’s relatives we have some married close relations so be considered incest today but this is not unsurprising in the days after Babel years following Babel we have families and tribes separated from one another and often only marrying within themselves in fact we’ll still see some close marriage relationships as we keep going with the history of the patriarchs this appears to be something that God tolerated in the most beginning days especially starting with Adam and then after Noah and Babel this would be something that God would forbid later on in the law of Moses there would not be these close marriage relationships and of course those are still forbidden today but something that God appeared to have tolerated at this time and it’s something we see in Abraham’s own family now back to more observations here there’s the little aside we’re given about Sara she is barren I remember that’s a big deal back in these days and it’s going to be a big deal in the narrative as we continue but it’s first mentioned here now notice that this family Terah and his descendants they go on a little migration verse 31 says or actually indicates to us where they intended to go from ur of the chaldeans to Canaan Terra and his family intended to go all the way there now I’ve mentioned the city of Ur in class before her was apparently a large city in Chaldea or southern Mesopotamia you can see it on the map all the way there on the right people have done archaeological investigations of this site and they’ve unearthed a huge ziggurat around the base of a huge cigarette in this city and they’ve discovered that in ur or the site that is identified as per the city was devoted to a moon god named Nana or seen so this was definitely a pagan city this is where Terra and his family comes from so he intends to journey from Earth to Canaan but doesn’t make it all the way to Canaan they stopped notice that the end of verse 31 says they stopped in Iran this would have been a journey about 600 miles again you can see it illustrated there on the map going Northwest how long is 600 miles well to give you a rough estimate that’s at about the distance from New Jersey to South Carolina so imagine going that by foot and that’s roughly the distance that Terah and his family travel Ron likely refers to a city that’s later called her wrong with two R’s in Assyria and it’s in modern Turkey today now archaeological investigations at this city site don’t reveal much about this time period pre medieval life in Iran is difficult to determine though it appears to have been a commercial city on a trade route now you might be wondering why did Tara and Abram why did they go up and not West well what’s the answer that’s right there’s a big desert in the way obviously earth there’s the trade routes too so that would’ve been a well more well-worn path you go Northwest but if you go simply west you probably won’t make it to your destination because you will die in the desert so this is why when people are trying to travel to Israel in ancient times they’re always going around the desert and coming in from the north even invading empires like Babylon or Assyria they’re always coming from the north which also has something to do with some eschatological prophecies regarding Israel’s enemies in the last days which direction are they coming from some some prophecies in the Old Testament identified as the North that’s why because there aren’t that many ways to get to Israel because of the geography surrounding it the sea in the desert so we’re Terah and his crew to make it to Israel they have to go around but again Terra doesn’t make it because he stops in Arad and he actually dies there verse 32 Terah dies the age of 205 still an impressively long lifespan but as we saw from Genesis 11 those life spans have been getting less and less now Genesis 12 opens with a sudden call or command from God from Abram to travel again in verse one relates several aspects of this command that Abram might have found a little difficult notice why this would be so because in the words God says to Abraham he essentially tells Abraham leave your country leave the land you know and you’ve gotten used to leave your relatives people you know and that you lived with for years people who have been your supports and your allies leave your father’s house they’re no longer going to live under or follow your father’s leadership or your older brothers leadership instead go to the place that I will show you I won’t tell you now where you are going exactly they just move in a certain direction I will direct you on where you should go now hebrews 11:8 will say more about that passage later it says explicitly the abram did not know where he was going when he set out obviously that partially reflected in the commands that God gives to Abram go to the land which I will show you but with these commands as part of this call there are some promises and notice these promises because they are extremely important they are going to inform a lot of what comes later in the Old Testament if a set of promises in verses 2 & 3 here and notice what they are God promises to Abram I will make you a great nation I will bless you I will make your name great you will be honored I will make you a blessing and he says people will be blessed or cursed based on how they treat you now hear that ESV translation of the verse is a little bit more helpful than a new American Standard both good translations with ESP is a little bit better in the ESV the first part of verse 3 reads I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonours you I will curse so Nastya says season 2 curses you I will curse but ESV says him who dishonours you I will curse why is it not quite equivalent in the ESV the English standard version that’s because in the Hebrew there is a difference God is telling Abram if they bless you I’ll bless them but if they so much as dishonor you if they treat you lightly treat you contemptuously if they only do that I will curse them I will go all out and curse them you don’t mess what Abram when God has placed his favor and his promise on you do you so much as treat him lightly God will curse you and you do not want to be cursed by Almighty God then finally notice the end of verse 3 God tells Abram in you I will cause all the families of the earth to be blessed that’s interesting all families that means all people not just Abraham’s descendants ocala are we still connected I just lost the video ok can you not see me so you can’t see me oh you can see me okay well I can’t see you so I’ll just keep going it because hopefully it’ll come back alright so these are pretty hefty promises in verses 2 & 3 I can hear you guys but I can’t see you so that’s good enough but what does Abram do in response to God’s call and God’s promises way from the base Abram the BAE’s God he leaves Iran I notice how old Abram is when he does this going to verse 4 he’s 75 years old notice who Abram takes with him as he sets out takes his wife Sarah takes his nephew lot takes all these servants he acquired in her on that term could be slaves or servants it’s a somewhat broad term in Hebrew all these people he acquired he takes them and he takes his possessions takes his acquire possessions the abram probably had a good amount of these things and the fact that specifically mentioned in the text means he probably spent a good amount of time in Iran the acquired servants there he acquired people there Abram travels to Canaan so swiftly to the town of Shechem Canaanite town about 30 miles north of Jerusalem you can also see that on the map in the section around Canaan this has been about 400 mile trek so think South Carolina to Florida to combine that with the other leg of the journey about New Jersey to Florida so a good distance by foot this is Abraham’s journey he arrives at Shechem and there the Lord appears to Abram notice the additional promise that God gives to Abram there God says the land belonging to the Canaanites it’s going to belong to your descendants even to your descendants I will give this land and no soever does in response to this this new affirmation Abram builds an altar there that’s Shechem and verse 8 says he builds another altar when he arrives at what would later be called Bethel the site Bethel seven miles north of Jerusalem and there the text says Abram also called upon the name of Yahweh we’ve seen this face before he’s calling upon the name of the Lord we saw it in Genesis 5 describing some of the descendants of Shem we see it up throughout the Old Testament Psalm 105 1 for example Oh give thanks to Yahweh call upon his name or Psalm 116 verses 3 & 4 the cords of death encompassed me and the terrors of Sheol came upon me I found distress and sorrow then I called upon the name of Yahweh Oh Yahweh I beseech you save my life just give you a flavour what that phrase means but it doesn’t stay in Bethel he keeps moving and notice our passage ends with Abraham journeying on toward bursts 9 or in verse 9 toward the Negev what’s the Negev that’s that southern desert area beneath what would later be the land of Judah so he’s moving south that’s where I pass a chance alright having made these observations let’s now proceed to some interpretation questions and we’ve got a bunch first why did Terra leave her with Abram for Canaan I mean isn’t isn’t this about Abraham’s call why does Terra go with him now why does it say Terra intended to go to Canaan now we’re not told specifically in the text why this is there’s some indication that terrorists purpose was to go to King but would you hear this in the New Testament Acts chapter 2 or Acts chapter 7 verses 2 & 4 2 to 4 this is Stephens defense before the Sanhedrin and he’s rehearsing some biblical history and Stephen says this acts 7 verses 2 to 4 and he said hear me brethren and fathers the god of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in her and said to him leave your country and your relatives coming to the land that I will show you then he left the land of the chaldeans and settled in Harad from there after his father died God had him moved to this country in which you are now living hmm now that’s very interesting according to Steven when did God first call Abram was it at Haram according to Steven it wasn’t in Iran it was in her when he was still in Mesopotamia in the land of the Chaldeans so for whatever reason Tara might have had to move he was probably aware that his son was already being called by God already wanting to go to Canaan so perhaps for that reason Tara decided to go to Abram it’s called in earth and in Herat to follow God and to go where God sent him here’s another question why do Tara and Abraham’s settlement in Iran’s God calls the mackanin why do they stop in a rod we don’t know text doesn’t say specifically it could be for a negative reason or a positive reason that might be the Abram was hesitant to keep going to depart his family they were perhaps content to live in Iran and the call to Abram in chapter 12 verses 1 to 3 it does emphasize the Abram needs to separate from his family separate from his country maybe that was difficult for him to do until after his father died they make maybe a more positive more innocent reason maybe that Terah and the whole crew was planning to go to Canaan but Terra fell ill and he wasn’t able to travel further and Abram went to stay with his father until he died or maybe God is leading Abram along and he hasn’t given specific directions all the way to Canaan and so he has him stopped in Iran for a time and he waits for God’s specific word to set out again could be though it is interesting the text does say that from her tara intended to go to Canaan so maybe they already knew that Canaan was the ultimate destination even if they didn’t know exactly where and came in it’s not like they would have been super aware of geography at that time it’s not like they have a map that they could just pull out from a text book or something like that they may have had a general idea of where Canaan was but they definitely needed God to to show them her Abram certainly did it at the least so don’t know why I stopped in Iran but it’s not necessarily because it was a sinful thing it could have been a positive thing another question why does Abram keep moving around even when he comes to Canaan he wanted to go to came in why do you keep moving aber again not said specifically not told specifically in the textbook we can think of some pretty fine reasons it could be that God is still directing Abraham around Texas and say that could be though it might be the Abrams getting more acquainted with this land of promise we’ll see that specifically commanded of Abram in Genesis 13 God says hey take a look around this land walk about it maybe he’s already doing that getting it of chapter 12 it may be though that as someone who has a lot of animals that he just needs to keep finding fresh pasture he’s a somewhat nomadic lifestyle he’s a man who dwells in tents he doesn’t have a permanent location he’s gonna keep moving along with his animals so they can get their sustenance and continue to prosper I think it’s probably the most likely reason why he keeps moving but again the text doesn’t tell us specifically now here’s a more important question was Abram a pagan was he and I told her when God first called him now text doesn’t say he was didn’t say that specifically but there’s good reason to think that pagan that Abram was not someone who followed Yahweh and was a pagan before God called him do you notice that we don’t see with Abram any particular description of right like we saw with Noah remember Noah we get this three full description of righteousness or even Joe Joe gets a four full description of righteousness when we get to Abram don’t see that moreover when noted that herb was a pagan City and listen to what Joshua says Joshua and Joshua at the book of Joshua chapter 2 verses 2 to 3 Joshua 2 verses 2 to 3 Joshua said to all the people thus says Yahweh the God of Israel from ancient times your fathers lived beyond the river that’s referenced to the land of mesopotamia and babylon namely tara the father of abraham the father of nahor and they served other gods then i took your father abraham from beyond the river and let him through all the land of canaan and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac oh that’s interesting God through Joshua reminds the people that their forefathers Tara himself included they served foreign gods but God called Abram and his descendants out from that way of living so Tara is not a follower of Yahweh necessarily then it’s a good reason to Abe a good reason to believe that Abram was not either so that leads to another question why then does God choose Abram why should any broome receive such calling and blessings from God if he’s not particularly righteous not even a Yahweh follower as far as we know why should his descendants be so blessed well what’s the only answer that we can really say that’s right it’s just because of God’s grace and his sovereignty it pleased God to do this for Abram and to do this for the world through Abel Abram did nothing to merit God scholar blessings he appears to be a wicked I’d altered just like the rest of his family just like his neighbors in the city that’s cities that he lived but God decided to show himself to Abram and to pour out undeserved favor on April and through him to all the world from Abraham God was going to bring forth a special people people for God’s own possession a holy people a kingdom of priests says we’ll hear specifically said in the book of Exodus kingdom of priests that will witness to and intercede for all the peoples of the earth God was not obligated to do this for Abram for his particular descendants God did have his promises that he needed to fulfill but not specifically through Abram nevertheless he did choose Abram it was pleasing to God to pour out undeserved love on some Abram and his descendants in this way and show forth God’s glory and of course this is just like us isn’t it think about it why does God love you why has gone God seemed fit to bless you by revealing salvation to you was because you have some merit you are better you’re smarter you’re more righteous than the rest and that’s why God showed you such grace of course that nullifies what grace is right Grace’s favor that has no pays no attention to merit and we know from the rest of scripture that before God saved us we were just as hopelessly and sinned as the rest dead in our transgressions and sins as Ephesians 2:1 says we were rebels against God clothed and right to unrighteous rags it might not have been as obviously evil as maybe some other people in the world but we were evil corrupted every part of our lives whether in self-righteousness or an open rebellion but nevertheless as I God is merciful because he’s sovereign because he does whatever pleases him he chose to set his love on you it pleased God to love you care for you mark you out as his possession and to show his glory to you and through you that’s the same thing that God did with Abram this is just God’s that principle God will have mercy on whom you’ll have mercy let me see that on display here with a room and this was a very great gift this was a very undeserved gift to Abram and really to the whole world and I say the whole world because of Genesis 12:3 what is the significance of that phrase the second part and you all the families of the earth will be blessed that’s not talking about certainly the full significance of this phrase would not have been comprehended by Abram at that time even wouldn’t know and have it exactly wouldn’t have known exactly what this means but God was revealing to Abram that his plans for Abram went beyond Abram and even Abraham’s descendants God was going to work good for all families of the world through Abram and through Abraham’s descendants this may remind you of a certain similar promise that comes later in the book Genesis Genesis 26 for God is speaking to Isaac to Isaac Genesis 26 for God says and in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed when offspring the new American Standard is literally the word seed in Hebrew in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed now where have we heard an important promise about a seed already in the book of Genesis that’ll be genesis 3:15 the curse on the serpent this is one of those verses that if you can you want to know it’s very very important the protoevangelium that the first description of the gospel that says from the seed of the woman will come one who will crush your head o serpent and you only bruises heal the seed the offspring the line of descent one from that line God says to Abram and to Isaac later more about this saving seed more information is being revealed about this one who is to come this line of descent that will culminate in a certain person little by little this Savior is being revealed and of course it’s gonna keep on doing it through Genesis through the Torah and as we move to the Old Testament of course those Christians were at the end of that revelation so we know exactly who that is who is this promised seed who will bless all families or who will result in blessing to all families of the earth that’s Jesus Christ our Lord the Messiah he is the promised seed of genesis 3:15 he’s the promised one in the promise of Genesis 12:3 and in Genesis 26 for but Abram didn’t know this specifically not yet northern as ancient contemporaries but already and their lives they could see that God’s plan was moving forward God’s plan was in motion he was accomplishing something through them and there’s more revelation about a savior to come Abram had an important part to play in this plan of God this is not a reactionary plan as God says alright got that thing done what am I gonna do next no it’s it’s all playing out exactly as God ordained and it’s using Abraham as part of it now Abram responds to God’s call in Iran and even in earth with obedience but why why did Abram obey God might not expected this of him pagan former idolatry no no particular reason to obey God so why does he clearly does why does he the answer must be Abram believed him Abram believed God God said these words to Abram and Abram believed them we haven’t yet heard their critical verse that articulates this another great Old Testament verse for you to know and memorize if you can is Genesis 15:6 Genesis 15:6 where we hear this description then he that’s abraham believed in yahweh and he that’s God reckoned it to him as righteousness it’s extremely important verse because it reveals the old testament that concept of justification by faith was there this is not some new testament idea it was there in all the scriptures abraham believed god and god counted it to him as righteousness but it wasn’t that Abraham first believed God at Genesis 15 that’s really what he’s doing all along by faith Abram believes God and therefore obeys God’s commands now as we’ve already seen in our previous lessons faith itself is a gift from God it’s not as if Abram could hold up his head high and say hey I had faith that’s why God called or I had faith and that’s why god bless no god bless you with faith and then that’s why God was able to bless you more faith itself is a gift of God as Ephesians 2:8 and 9 says by grace you’ve been saved through faith and this is not of yourselves it is a gift from God and that’s why Abram obeys God gave him the gift of faith but let’s drill down a little bit more on what this faith consisted of what was abram looking forward to was he simply excited about all these specific material blessings from God I mean its face it the things that God promises they they have to do with the things of the world many descendants a great name a blessed life a land to call his own or Atlanta called his own for his descendants his abram strictly motivated by material interests in other words could Satan lay the same charge at Abraham’s door as he does against Joe could Satan go before God and say you know why Abram obeys you because you promised or you do bless him materially that’s it you’re just motivated by materialism take away his worldly blessings take away the descendants that you promised him and Abram will curse you to your face could Satan say that about Abel before we ask that question let’s go to the New Testament take your Bibles and go to Hebrews chapter 11 this here in Hebrews 11 we get the commentary helps us not miss what’s really happening in the call of Abram here’s 11 verses 8 to 16 now if you know about the book of Hebrews this is a book written to Christians who are being persecuted particularly Jewish Christians they’re under pressure to renounce faith in Jesus just go back to Judaism won’t experience as much suffering if you just go back to being a Jew Roman Empire doesn’t like Christians but they tolerate the Jews Jews of course persecuted Christians also but the writer of Hebrews is encouraging these Jewish Christians not to announce their faith in Jesus but to persevere persevere by faith and in Chapter 11 we have this famous Hall of faith chapter or the faith Hall of Fame where the writer is calling his listeners his audience to persevere by looking to the examples of faithful Old Testament Saints of course when I say Saints there I don’t mean Roman Catholic saints or something like that I just mean people who believe God in the past people who lived lives of faith he says look at them look at the kind of faith that they had that’s the kind of faith you need now one of the one of those faithful ones that the author highlights is Abraham he calls me Abraham even though technically the time period he’s referring to Abram Abraham was still called Abram but that’s alright Abraham Abram doesn’t really matter let’s hear what the author of Hebrews has to say about Abraham’s call so Hebrews 11 starting in verse eight going down to verse 16 by faith Abraham when he was called obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going by faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise as in a foreign land dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob fellow heirs the same promise for he was looking for the city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God by faith even Sara herself received ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life since she considered him faithful who had promised therefore there is born even of one man and him as good as dead at that as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore all these died in faith without receiving the promises but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance and having confessed that they were strangers and ex-house on the earth for those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own and indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out they would have had opportunity to return but as it is they desire a better country that is a heavenly one therefore God is not ashamed to be called a bear God for he has prepared a city for them this is very interesting there’s a few aspects of this New Testament passage notice which promise of God to Abraham is highlighted in verses 8 to 9 it’s the land promise promise about land inheritance but verse 10 says that Abraham was waiting specifically for what for a city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God such a city is contrasted with the living conditions that Abram or Abraham actually experienced he lived in tents that were pitched in a foreign land so in other words did Abraham receive the promised land while he was alive he didn’t he lived as a foreigner and an exile and then in verses 11 to 12 we have a reference to another promise from God Avery that promised to multiply Abraham’s descendants and make a great nation of him today brahim received this promise while he was still alive he didn’t he had one to send it a promise Isaac he did not become a great nation during his lifetime instead look what verse 13 says says while he and his next descendants did not receive those specific promises what did they do they welcomed those promises from a distance and they confess themselves all of them to be strangers and exiles on the earth and now look at verses 14 to 16 though Abraham was grateful for these earthly promises what was it that Abraham was really looking toward country of his own a better country a heavenly country the country where God dwells ah now this is the critical point from the writer of Hebrews why did Abraham obey God well he had faith well what was at the heart of his faith what was motivating Abraham what was the promise that he was clinging to the most wasn’t a promise of earthly blessing no it cannot merely be that because he never received it and he could have had opportunity to receive an earthly blessing if he wanted to by not following God so what motivated Abraham then it was the sweet prospect of going to God’s country God’s City or to say it another way the most exciting part of the promise that Abram gets in Genesis 12 is the one making the promise it’s like Abraham responds to God in this way in his heart God has revealed himself to me he has said his favour on me there’s a way that I can know and one day be with the God who is this was Abraham’s greatest blessing God did did give other great promises that have to do with earthly blessings to Abraham but Abraham saw that that wasn’t the best part there was greater treasure ahead because God had revealed himself to Abraham and made himself Abraham’s God this ought to be instructive for us we need to apply personally the excitation of Hebrews 11 to ourselves even what God says about Abraham and so I want you to think through a series of questions with me are you like Abraham when it comes to faith would you like to be are you afraid to leave the familiar country and the family that is the world do you see a better country before you the place where the God of all joy and life dwells think about what Colossians 3 verses 1 to 5 say washing 3-1 to 5 it says therefore if you have been raised up with Christ keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God set your mind on things above not on the things that are on earth for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ and God when Christ who is our life is revealed then you also will be revealed with him in glory therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality impurity passion evil desire and greed which amounts to idolatry hear those words from Colossians from the Apostle Paul from the Spirit of God do you seek the things above as really Abram did or is your mind set on the things above and on Christ on what things of the world have you set your mind or set your home or set your joy if you were to embrace the lifestyle of one of these God inheriting heroes of faith Abraham Isaac Jacob if you were to become like a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth what would have to change in your life that really were to be a reality for you do you really believe what God says about himself is true do you believe that God is faithful that you can hold to his promises do you believe he has the best in mind for you when he forbids you from certain sins and when he commands you to follow his ways do you believe that God’s ways are all good and Swedes and wise truly Heaven mindedness eternity mindedness they ought to set us apart in the people of our world as Christians because God has shown us that there is another country a better country where he is and that’s what he wants us looking forward to our attitude must not be as the attitude is of the world have as much fun as you can before it’s all over no instead we ought to think prepare for the happiness that is ahead and welcome it now lay up treasure in heaven not treasure on earth pursue deeds that will result in your joy when Jesus comes and when Jesus judges all your works don’t pursue that which will simply burn up believe God the happiest life is the one that has given up for Christ and for the sake of his gospel the worst life lived was the one that sought to squeeze every ounce of happiness from the world and from its passing pleasures this is what Abraham understood this is what Abram understood fundamentally and that’s why he obeyed though he did slip at times Abraham was not perfect in his faith it is following God but generally he was fundamentally he was a person who was looking forward to the heavenly country and he was excited about it so do you understand that same perspective is your mind captured by the truth such a way that your life reflects it if not what needs to change in your life we needs to change in your life to bring anything for need to what what is truly real that heavenly country where are some steps what are some practical steps you can take toward making these changes in your life bringing about these changes in the other if you need help who are some mature believers you can talk to you about life is short having with Christ is forever so let’s be sober not waste these gracious days that God has given us now today we’ve seen God’s gracious call to Abram we’ve seen Abraham’s response by faith that looked beyond even the earthly promises to the goodness of God himself but what are some questions you have about today’s lesson I still can’t see so you’ll have to just save the question I can’t see your hand if you raise it yes they call that it’s likely in my mind isn’t it he’s definitely on this step perhaps he may have been given the knowledge of God back then and maybe even spread that knowledge to some of the members of his family because later on in Genesis I think it’s 25 or 20 24 25 26 when Abraham seeks a bride for Isaac and he sends Eliezer his son back there he makes sure that he does not get a bride for a preferred Isaac from among the Canaanites and he says that daily as I wanted to go back and then when Eliezer does go back and he talks to Rebekah and independent her mother back back there and Laban they appear to know Yahweh they when you when you read those sections they say well they either is telling them the story about Abraham and how Abram sent him all the way there to find a bride which he did he found Rebekah and they appeared to understand it said well even even Laban and his mom react and they say well God has sent this man then you know perhaps you should go with him so they appear to know the God of Abraham even bad men so i am i’ve always tended they’ve been leaning towards the idea that perhaps God called Abraham earlier in the EE may have even made God known to some of the members of his family just from God speaking that’s good that’s a good observation hadn’t thought about that before thanks for sharing that just briefly summarize you mentioned that later on we have details from even relatives when Abraham’s seeking a bride for Isaac that they know about the God of Abraham and they seem to give some credence they’ve got Arabia that when Abraham’s servant mentions following the will of Yahweh to find a bride for Isaac they know about that and they want to go along with that that is very interesting and it does speak to some knowledge about even Yahweh I don’t know if that’s from Abraham specifically but then it may be just that knowledge of God that from Babel was still around in the world it is interesting though that Laban family does appear to have synchronistic tendencies at the least because actually I know I’m thinking of Rachel she’s the one who steals the gods well let’s just say that layman was not exactly a righteous follower of God of Yahweh all by himself wait let me get my patriarchs all Oh sorted out here lay them all right I have to think through that little bit more I sometimes get Rebekah and Rachel confused and who’s the ones who stole the cards so I have to think through that a little bit more but there’s an interesting comment Roy had to think about that think about that more as to how how much evidence is that that Abraham’s relatives knew about Yahweh it is interesting as you point out to that he says don’t take a daughter from the people of the land they obviously would have been pagan there’s a better chance that the specific relatives of Abraham would have been followers of the true God very interesting point I had to think about that one if you have other questions hang on to them I do want to mention a few other application questions before we close these are a little bit more specific than what I’ve already mentioned generally by application hopefully you see the answers to these questions from our lesson today here’s the first one we know that God has promised to reward those who place their faith in him when can we expect to receive those reports and to be careful about that word expect right expectations we may receive some rewards from God while we’re on the earth but we should not expect them or we should we should not allow whatever rewards or blessing we experience to divert us from Christ whenever they appear in our lives you know sometimes the things are going well don’t just say to yourself Oh God is blessing me God is rewarding me you know God may also be testing you because blessings can can be the excuse for why we turn away from God we must remember that our inheritance is ultimately in heaven suffering and striving in this world is our primary calling so that we might enjoy and increase our heavenly reward we thank God for what He gives us in our lives but if he chooses not to bless us materially or provide us easy circumstances we know he’s still being good to us and we have a reward to come there’s another question you ever heard the expression you are so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good is this a biblically grounded idea in light of what we’ve been studying today not really those who are truly heavenly minded are also the ones who are doing earthly good if you are heavenly minded and you’re not accomplishing earthly good well you’re not truly heavenly minded have a twisted view of what it means to be seeking the things above if you truly seek Christ if you truly are seeking that which is to come you will be motivated to a Bagon on the earth includes loving your fellow man rather the main issue is not that Christians are too heavenly minded it’s that Christian say I’m not heavenly minded enough not rightly heavenly minded we do need to be seeking the things above and that’s what’s going to help us actually obey the Lord and be useful while we’re on the earth there’s another question how does the world react to the idea of storing up treasures in heaven rather than seeking to build fortunes or just seek the pleasures here on earth of course this is extremely antithetical to their thinking this is this is very strange to them they might say that this is wishful thinking it’s a silliness why are you not paying attention to just what you can see and feel and believing in this afterlife and all these things that that you can’t see it’s all gonna end when you die just be true to your impulses deter yourself don’t deny the things and desires you have and they might even be offended convicted by this lifestyle from Christians this was already promised to us in the scriptures Jesus said they’re gonna persecute you they persecuted me and at first Peter 4 1 2 5 won’t take the time to read it but it says when you arm yourself for suffering when you lay aside that old life they’re not going to understand this they’ll be surprised you don’t run with them into the same excesses of dissipation and so what they do they malign you but what does God say keep looking towards the judgment they are gonna give an account to him he was ready to judge the living in the dead and you have a good you have to give an account into he rewards you if you are one who truly belongs to him and he would he will curse you he will judge you forever if not keep looking to the things above and then just to remind her that last that last thought and what ways are you failing to set your minds on things above and how can you see could change this attitude we certainly want to think more of oh you know what I just need to think more about the things above I need to do that like it’s specific get concrete how can you do that what are some practical changes you can make in your life do help you set your mind on things about are there certainly pursuits that you need to cut out of your life maybe certain relationships that are not helping you to do that maybe you need to add certain relationships to your life maybe you need to pursue with discipleship relationship work more fellowship with the church or maybe you need to integrate a new Bible study into your life or a time of prayer there are so many different things you can do to help make yourself more heavenly minded but it starts with practical steps so just say I got to do better next time that usually leads to no change we are gonna be fighting against the flesh and the spiritual forces of darkness if we’re going to set our minds on things above and that will not be easy so it takes perseverance it takes as Paul says hitting your body underneath the eye putting it into submission and this is what we want to do for the sake of the reward for the sake of the blessing of God so think about what are some ways that you can do this for your own life now that’s it for this week next week we’re gonna look at how Abram and lot end up splitting up this is interesting this is actually one of the new lessons of the answers Baba curriculum 2nd edition what you’ve been mostly hearing for me is just upgraded versions refined versions of the previous version lessons but this was totally new so looking forward to exploring this passage with you together next time let’s close in prayer or God I thank you for these people Lord that you have called just as you called Abram and Lord you’ve set apart for blessing not because of anything they deserve not because I don’t think I deserve God but just because you were merciful you’ve chosen to set your love on us we thank you for that God but help us to be heavenly minded I was to have that same kind of faith that Abraham did and that motivated him to obey you and to welcome your promises from afar I pray that we’d be doing the same God should give wisdom to the to those who hear today as to what kind of practical steps they can take in that direction pray God that we would all become more like Jesus Christ and enjoy his peace is joy more and Jesus name Amen thank you all and I will see you next time and not just here you happy mother’s day by the way