Genesis 12-13
Who is it about? God or us? Who did you
learn more about ?
Genesis 12:1-3 God calls
Abram and blesses him with the promise of Christ.
God chose Abram (Isaiah 41:8;
Matthew 22:14; Luke 23:35; John 15:19; 1 Peter 1:20 1 Peter 2:0) from
among his fellow idolaters that he might reserve a people for
himself. By moving him from his country, Abram was tried whether he
loved God better than all. With this command, God calls Abram to
begin a journey of faith that is marked by complete dependence upon
God and God's promise. This is not an easy thing for Abram. The
things he must leave are mentioned in order of increasing level of
intimacy: "Go forth from your country, your relatives, and your
closest family." Abram must leave all he holds dear and trust
God to guide him in a new land.
The command God gave to Abram is much
the same as the gospel call (natural affection for our ways must give
way to Divine grace, sin and all the occasions of it must be
forsaken, a promise of greatness fulfilled in Christ, blessings for
obedience, all sustained by God's sovereign grace for his glory).
God's promises to Abram:
-I will make you into a great nation.
(Literally, Abram would be the father of a great nation.)
-I will bless you. (Obedient believers
will inherit a blessing/somewhat here/more-so an eternal
blessing/blessings here are a foretaste of what is to
come/encouragement to continue until we see Jesus face to face.)
-I will make your name great. (Book of
life/the name of obedient believers shall certainly be made
great/ “Shine like stars” Philippians 2:14-16)
-You will be a blessing. I will bless
those who bless you/All people on earth will be blessed through
Abram. (The greatest blessing to come through Abram would be that
of Jesus Christ/Eventually through Abram came the Savior, the Bible
and the gospel/Galatians 3:8.)
-Whoever curses you I will curse. (God
will take care of Abram/all believers-sometimes not until
eternity will it be “made right.”)
God allowed Abram to believe that the
blessing of the Almighty would make up for all he could lose or leave
behind, supply all his wants, and answer and exceed all his desires.
He knew that nothing but misery would follow disobedience.
*Do
you believe that? Understand that? Explain.
Such believers, being justified by
faith in Christ, have peace with God. They are not discouraged by the
difficulties in their way, nor drawn away by the delights they meet
with. What we undertake, in obedience to God's command, and in humble
attendance on his providence, will certainly succeed and end with
comfort at last.
Genesis 12:4-9 Abram
departs from Haran, journeys through Canaan,
and worships God in that
land.
Canaan was not a mere outward
possession, but a type of heaven – the promised land that
foreshadowed the real heaven to come (Hebrews 11:16). He journeyed
through the country as a stranger, as a sojourner in this world. He
continued to draw nearer to God through prayer – God revealed
himself numerous times to Abram – Abram built alters of remembrance
along the way.
*What “alter of remembrance”
have you built to God? Have you seen and/or
remembered His grace?
Genesis 12:10-20 Abram is
driven by a famine into Egypt, he feigns his wife to be his sister.
Because of a famine, Abram brings his
family to Egypt. This passage reveals Abram's “humanness” -
although God has already appeared to him twice, he had just received
great promises, and had experienced God's faithfulness he fell
through unbelief and distrust of the Divine providence. He not only
chose to sin, but led his wife, his attendants, and the Egyptians to
sin also.
God reveals himself by delivering Abram
out of his sin. God deals with his children not based on our actions,
but based on his purposes and mercy all for his glory.
*How
does this situation reveal God's glory? (God makes it clear
that it is God's sovereignty, and not human initiative, that will
bring the people of God into existence, God did not allow Pharaoh to
hurt Abram's family, God exposed Abram's sin and granted him
repentance, God kept Abram alive and continued His promises through a
sinful man to reveal how deep His mercy and forgiveness goes, reveals
that God's plans are not thwarted by our actions, a Christian will
never fall beyond grace because it is God Himself who sustains them,
points ultimately to the cross where forgiveness is found through
Jesus Christ).
Genesis 13:1-4
Abram came out of Egypt very rich. The
Hebrew word for rich is “heavy.” Habakkuk 2:6 says that those who
will be rich load themselves with thick clay. Riches are a burden
because of the care in getting them, the fear in keeping them, the
temptation in using them, the guilt in abusing them, the sorrow in
losing them, and the burden of giving an account to God for them in
the end.(Mark 10:23-24)
*In America we
strive to become rich – how can financial prosperity be a hindrance
or blessing?
Yet God, in His providence, made Abram
rich without sorrow (Proverbs 10:22). If prosperity is well managed
it can be an opportunity to do more good than otherwise possible. In
the midst of his riches, we still see Abram dependent on God and
calling on his name. You may as soon find a living man without breath
as one of God's people without prayer.
Genesis 13:5-9
Because of their overwhelming riches
and animal stock, there was not enough room in the land for both of
them (Abram and Lot). Quarrels, lying and slandering began with the
servants, which was only made worse because they dwelt in the land
inhabited by the Canannites and Perizzites- these quarrels would
cause a reproach of their religion, and God's name. Abram wisely
sought to solve the dilemma quickly. Although he was the elder and
the greater of the two men, he yielded his first rights of the choice
land to Lot in order to keep the peace. He understood that ultimately
there was a greater land coming.
Lot, being selfish and choosing with
the lust of his eyes, picked the fertile, fruitful land. Rather than
looking to the morals of the country. The men of Sodom were impudent,
daring sinners. This was the iniquity of Sodom: pride, fulness of
bread, and an abundance of idleness (Ezekiel 16:49). God often gives
great plenty to great sinners.
Those who, in choosing relations,
callings, dwellings, or settlements, are guided and governed by the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of life, cannot
expect God's presence or blessing. They are commonly disappointed
even in that which they principally aim at. In all our choices this
principle should rule, That is best for us, which is best for our
souls.
*How do you tend to make decisions? By that which
is pleasing to you, or pleasing to God?
