The Requirements, Rewards, Reasons in God’s Will
Notes
Transcript
I’m so thankful for the Biblical record. God includes the things we need to read and understand! The life of Abraham includes many such things. Let’s ask God to teach us tonight.
Prayer
I. Abram’s Call
I. Abram’s Call
Gen. 12:1-4
Acts 7:2-5
Hebrews 11:8-11, 17-19
Ur of the Chaldees is approximately 600-700 miles straight east from Canaan, as the crow flies. However, in between is the northern portion of the Arabian desert. This was mostly impossible for ancient travelers to cross, especially large caravans. Mesopotamia is the region stretching from the Persian Gulf, north and west up into the northern portion of Iraq, and bounded by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. (This northwesterly path from Chaldea to northern Iraq, then south into Israel was also taken many years later by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar.) We read this about Abram’s movements in the last verses of Genesis 11.
And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. But Sarai was barren; she had no child. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
God told Abram to leave Ur of the Chaldees, which he did with his father Terah, his wife Sarai, his fatherless nephew Lot, and likely a few other relatives. They traveled northwest to Haran, which was still northeast of Canaan by a few hundred miles. They lived there until Terah died. (Some have estimated 5 years in Haran, but we’re not told.) After Terah has died, we find our text in Genesis 12:1-4.
II. The Requirements in God’s Will
II. The Requirements in God’s Will
It’s interesting to note that God commanded Abram to leave while he was still in Ur, yet they stopped in Haran, in Mesopotamia. Here are some possibilities.
God had directly led them to travel to and stop in Haran
Abram was following his father and not God to stop in Haran
God had led them to the area of Haran, and Abram had been waiting for further direction (Gen. 12:4 seems to contradict this.)
We don’t know why they stopped in Haran, and we don’t know their motivation. But we do know this: God’s will had not been fulfilled yet. Abram’s obedience wasn’t complete. It didn’t matter how far he had come, or how willing he was to go farther. He hadn’t fulfilled God’s will yet. There was progress still to be made.
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:
A. “Get thee out of thy country”
A. “Get thee out of thy country”
One’s country is an important part of our identity. We usually make memories, start relationships, and experience life highlights in the place of our upbringing. To leave our country usually means to part with a significant portion of who we are as a person! It also means we are forfeiting whatever benefits our reputation brings. No one knows us in a strange land. This would have been seen as a very unwise decision by Abram! Yet he had to make a choice, and so do we. Following God’s will must mean that we are willing to relinquish our familiar surroundings. Even if it costs us our self-identity and reputation, God’s will is more important. In following God’s will, Abram would be uncomfortable!
The apostles had a similar choice to make. Matt. 4:18-20 “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.” Little did they know that God’s will would take them to distant unforeseen places! (Peter went to Babylon!)
B. “And from thy kindred”
B. “And from thy kindred”
Folks move great distances to be near their relatives, yet God was commanding Abram to leave his. Close, familiar relationships are important to most people. Nomadic clans like Abram’s place great emphasis on their kin. this was undoubtedly a great sacrifice for Abram! (Perhaps for us today, we might broaden “kindred” to include our close friends as well.) In following God’s will, Abram would be lonely.
This reminds us of what Jesus Christ said in Matt. 10:37-38.
He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
C. “And from thy father’s house”
C. “And from thy father’s house”
The clan patriarch was often wealthy, and was a symbol of power and security. Leaving all of that would cause Abram to forfeit his place of provision and his place of possible future authority. In following God’s will, Abram would be starting over!
Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
D. “Unto a land that I will shew thee”
D. “Unto a land that I will shew thee”
When we have lands and possessions, we may formulate more involved ambitions. A poor, homeless person is generally occupied with the ambition of mere survival. God wanted Abram to relinquish his ambitions to follow God’s will. Notice that God didn’t say, “unto the land of _______.” He said, “A land that I will shew thee.” Abram had no guarantees or clues as to what this land would look like. He only had God’s promise to show it to him. In following God’s will, Abram would be showing that his only ambition was to obey the LORD his God.
God’s will takes us places we don’t foresee and don’t prefer. He takes us places that go against conventional wisdom. God may ask us to leave our familiar environment to follow Him. He may ask us to leave behind much of our identity in order to serve Him. He may also ask us to separate from our kindred. (Salvation alone may cause this separation!) God asks us to do things that don’t make sense to us, and that look unwise. He asks us to relinquish everything to Him, even our ambition. What will we do? If we desire anything above following the Lord, then we won’t follow Him as far as He invites us to come.
III. The Rewards in God’s Will
III. The Rewards in God’s Will
I imagine Abram attempting to consider the ramifications of God’s command to him. I imagine him thinking for a moment, and then asking God, “Lord, if I leave all of this, what will I have left?” God’s answer is simple. “Just me.” What a wonderful trade this is!! Notice that the things that God asks Abram to give up, He then promises to replace, but in a much greater portion!
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
A. “I will make of thee a great nation”
A. “I will make of thee a great nation”
Abram would be leaving his old country and his old friends, but God would give him a new society! (“Nation” = people)
B. “I will bless thee”
B. “I will bless thee”
Abram left the security and provision of his father’s home and lands, but God was promising blessings. We will never lose when we trade earthly security for the security of God’s will.
C. “I will…make thy name great”
C. “I will…make thy name great”
Abram left behind the reputation of his father’s and his own making, and he chose to accept the reputation that God would fashion for him. Christian, are you content with the reputation of one who follows God? Your choices reveal the answer to this question.
D. “Thou shalt be a blessing”
D. “Thou shalt be a blessing”
God asked Abram to surrender his ambition, and then He immediately presented Abram with a different one. The child of God ought not to be concerned and consumed with building his own fortunes and his own reputation. Instead, he should seek to follow God’s will. That means being a blessing.
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
IV. The Reasons in God’s Will
IV. The Reasons in God’s Will
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.
This isn’t some kind of bully promising his protection to his minion. God is revealing a very important purpose! In promising blessing and cursing, God is indicating two main things:
God is promising His attention and involvement to Abram and his descendants
Abram would be leaving all behind, but he wouldn’t be alone!
God is offering His careful work in the lives of everyone besides Abram
God isn’t just providing for Abram, and neglecting all others. He is proving that if others will make right choices, He will respond appropriately! If they make bad choices, He will respond in love, giving them opportunity to repent. If they ignore and avoid Abram (“The Friend of God”), they will be the loser.
Of course, God’s final statement in the verse prophesies of Christ. What a reward for Abram’s obedience!
Christian, you are God’s child, called to be a witness of His Word and His provision in the Gospel. You are an opportunity for God to work in the lives of the lost. Are you following God’s will?
V. The Response to God’s Will
V. The Response to God’s Will
Just because we know God’s will doesn’t mean we’ll obey. Abram obeyed.
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.
Abram could have had a lot of excuses as to why he shouldn’t leave Ur, or why he shouldn’t leave Haran and travel several hundred miles south to Sichem. Instead of using excuses, he just obeyed what God had said. May we have the same resolve!
Depart from me, ye evildoers:
For I will keep the commandments of my God.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Following God is worth the struggle!
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
It will be worth it all, when we see Christ!