The Start of a Nation

A farmer was sitting on the porch of his house when a stranger came by and asked, “How’s things?” “Tolerable,” came the reply. He continued, “Two weeks ago a tornado came along and knocked down all the trees I would have had to chop down for this winter’s firewood. Then last week lightning struck the brush I had planned to burn to clear the fields for planting.”

The stranger responded, “That’s remarkable, what are you doing now?” The farmer answered, “Waiting on an earthquake to come along and shake the taters out of the ground.”

Some things God works out directly, but often God uses people to do the work He wants done.

Genesis 12:1–4 NIV84

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.

Both Jews and Christians believe that by his call to this one individual God was setting in motion a series of acts of grace and judgment which would fashion a special people for him, who would lead a lost mankind back to their true home.

God’s call

Abram – a nomad, worshipped other gods (Josh. 24:2), getting on in years with no children

The Lord said – How did God speak? A voice from heaven, an internal voice?

Leave – Get out

Father’s house

Your people

Haran - corresponds to the modern city of Harran in southeastern Turkey.

Positioned at the crossroads of trade routes

Famous for its worship of the moon god Sin

By leaving his father’s household, Abram was thus giving up his inheritance and his right to family property. What Abram’s family think, what was Sarah’s reaction?

Go

To a place I will show you – about 380 miles from Haran to Shechem

Be a blessing

What did Abraham think? Is that really God, is He serious? Why me?

God’s promise

Make you a great nation

Will bless you

Includes protection (will curse those who curse you)

Notice that this passage is all about what God will do

I will show you

I will make you great

I will bless you.

God fulfilled His promises to Abram but Abram did not see it. Isaac wasn’t born until some 25 years after Abram left Haran,

Were there times when Abram wondered if he should have stayed in Haran

God’s purpose

All people’s on earth will be blessed – fulfilled in Jesus Christ

Galatians 3:8–9 NIV84

The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Abram went

He didn’t know where God would lead him

He didn’t know when God’s promises would be fulfilled

He trusted in God – real faith takes action

Our calling

God calls each of us – are we listening, are we willing to obey?

First to leave all to follow Him – Jesus’ first disciples

Matthew 19:27 NIV84

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

Then to go and make disciples

J.W. Van DeVenter writes:

For many years I had been studying art. My whole life was wrapped up in its pursuit and the farthest thing from my mind was active Christian service, … My dream was to become an outstanding and famous artist.… The Spirit of God was strongly urging me to give up teaching and to enter the evangelistic field but I would not yield. I still had the burning desire to be an artist. This battle raged for five years. At last the time came when I could hold out no longer and I surrendered my all—my time and my talents. It was then that a new day was ushered into my life. I became an Evangelist and discovered that deep down in my soul was hidden a talent hitherto unknown to me. God had hidden a song in my heart and touching a tender chord He caused me to sing songs I had never sung before.

I wrote “I Surrender All” in memory of the time when, after the long struggle, I had surrendered and dedicated my life to active Christian service for the Lord.

All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,

All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.