The Call of Abram

The history of mankind seems to be nothing short of a history of constant rebellion. God creates man and gives one rule. Man rebels.

Then we see brothers, one kills the other.

The world falls into constant rebellion, finally God has enough and floods the world, and starts anew with the family of Noah.

The people rebel again.

It seems that the thing we can count on, is man will rebel against God.

This then makes the story of redemption, the story of a loving merciful God continuing to pursue a rebellious people.

Go from your country

v.1

God tells Abram, go! Spread out from your kinsmen.

God had told the people at the tower of Babel to go! Spread out, leave their kinsmen behind and fill the earth.

We saw God destroy the whole world.

The world begins to get populated again.

This is a map of the different families that dispersed. This is what took place after the tower of Babel.

These families are found in Genesis 10.

These nations didn’t want to follow God, they didn’t want to be dispersed, they had the same stubbornness as the people before the flood.

They built a tower.

Do you know what nation isn’t there in that passage?

Israel

God will make a nation from Abram

v.2

God calls Abram, stating that He will make a great nation from Abram.

This involves the element of dominion. For to be a nation, you must take dominion of the land.

This also involves being fruitful. For you need to have heirs to be a nation.

Do you see how God continues to bring up these points as points of blessing.

Points of blessing for those who are faithful to Him.

This will be accomplished by God, God would be the one working this way through Abram.

Contrast this to the other nations in 11:4, who desired to do something that their name would be great.

God says that Abram’s name would be great, but not becasue of his might, but becasue of God’s might.

Abram was not one of the original nations that were listed.

Deuteronomy 32:8-9

God divided mankind.

This was the tower of Babel.

God appointed boundaries for the people.

He had determined the regions and the area’s in which they would live.

But the Lord’s portion is with Jacob.

God divided the rest of the nations, but they weren’t His.

Israel, Jacob, was His.

It’s almost like God had told the descendants of Noah to spread, and fill the earth.

They rebelled against Him again, so God says.

“You want to go your own way, I’ll give you over to the lusts of your hearts. I’ll allow you to walk in your impurity.”

Romans 1:18-25

Fewer more frightening words have ever been spoken than v.24 “God gave them up.”

God let them do what they wanted to do.

He allowed them to become more evil, to do worse things.

We see the nations of Genesis 10 rebelling, and God gives them over to the lust of their hearts.

Then God takes a man that wasn’t a nation and states

This man I am putting my special favor on, with this man, I will make a new nation for myself.

The Lord takes this new nation as His inheritance.

A Blessing For the World

v.3

Here God eludes to the promise made in Genesis 3:15.

Genesis 3:15 ESV

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

We see a glimpse of the one who will put an end to sin, to the one who will end the curse!

Though mankind has fallen, and becasue of the nation’s stubbornness God rejected them and created a nation through Abram.

God’s plan was still to bless the nations, to claim the nations.

Psalm 82:8

Psalm 82:8 ESV

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!

Though they rejected Him, the pursuit of God for man is still seen.

He will still inherit the nations.

God’s plan to bless the nations, was to take them as an inheritance. This was only possible through the one who would be a descendant of Abram, Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:7-9

Those who are of faith, they are the sons of Abraham!

Ephesians 2:12-13

Ephesians 2:12–13 ESV

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

We were gentiles. That is to say; of the nations.

Strangers of God, and alienated from the people of God.

But God by His wonderful grace saved us.

He took those who had been rejecting Him and through the descendant of Abram, God made a way.

He made a way for us to be part of the Holy family of God!

For what God has said about Israel in:

Exodus 19:6

Exodus 19:6 ESV

6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

That they are a holy nation. A nation of priests.

This was the purpose that He had for Israel, that they would be a special people.

God now says of us.

1 Peter 2:9-10

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We now are also part of this amazing family of God. A holy nation, a priesthood.

For in Romans 11 it talks about how we have been grafted into the vine of Israel.

We were not a people, we were part of the nations, who desired their own way, not God’s.

But now we are God’s people.

We were a people who hadn’t recieved mercy, but now we have recieved mercy.

This is if you know Jesus.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and savior, you haven’t recieved mercy.

You can’t call God father, and you have no peace from the wrath to come.

You need to have a relationship with Jesus, if you want to know how, talk to me after church.

Do you see how God has taken Abram, and blessed the world!

Because of God’s grace, He took a regular man, and made him into a nation.

A nation based on faith in God that is forevermore, God’s people.

What are you going to do with it?

How can you show your gratitude to the king of the universe?