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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday August 26, 2018
THE
CALL OF ABRAM
Genesis
12
Abram, whose name GOD later changed
to “Abraham”, was born and raised in the fabled city of Ur. Ur was located in
the southern division of ancient Babylonia known as “Sumer” (SOO-mehr), which
was situated between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (now southern Iraq). Sumer
is the territory referred to as “Shinar” in the Old Testament (Genesis 10:10).
It was a part of the kingdom of the great Nimrod who attempted to build the
infamous “Tower of Babel” there.
The Sumerians, developed the first “high
living civilization” in the history of mankind, and Ur was the center of their
rich culture. They were the first people to develop a writing style that
consisted of “Cuneiform script”, which were “wedged shaped” characters that
became synonymous with Persian and Babylonian culture and literature. They were
proud of their vast wealth, monumental architecture, grand homes, music, and
art.
While living in this ultra “worldly”
culture, Abram worshiped many gods (Joshua 24:2), however, when the real and
true GOD spoke to him, he was willing to leave this enchanting atmosphere, and
travel, “on faith”, to the unknown land of Canaan, where he would live a
“nomadic” life in tents for nearly 100 years. He traded the fading glory that
is inevitable in the world, for a personal, trusting, eternal relationship with
GOD.
Here in Genesis chapter 12 we see the
literal “calling” of Abram by GOD, into a life-changing commitment of humility
and dependence on the promises of the only wise, sovereign CREATOR of the
universe. Abram was 75 years old when he first received instructions from GOD
to leave the land in which he was born, including, leaving his relatives and
the entire house of his father (v.1). Abram, in spite of those instructions
from the LORD, decided to take his nephew Lot and all of his clan with him
(v.5). This disobedience would later cause many problems for Abram as we shall
see (Genesis 13:5-7, 14:11-16, and 18:22-33).
We see beginning in verse 2, GOD reeling
off a list of five promises to Abram that will not all be realized in his
lifetime. Here HE tells Abram that;
·
I will
cause you to become the father of a great nation
·
I will
bless you and make you famous
·
I will
make you a blessing to others
·
I will
bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you
·
All the
families of the earth will be blessed through you
And so Abram left Haran and traveled to the
land of Canaan. While traveling through Canaan, he came to a place near Shechem
where he set up camp beside the oak trees at “Moreh” (which means “teacher”).
This is significant in that, the Canaanites had worship shrines already set up
there in the area among the oak trees of Moreh, and this in fact may have been the
site of one or more of their many cult worship centers. Ironically, it is here
that the LORD appeared to Abram and informed him that “this land will be given
to your offspring”. And so Abram built a shrine for the LORD, right there among
the shrines of the pagans. Perhaps thus bodes as a symbolic gesture that the
GOD of all gods was about to manifest HIS glorious presence in the cursed land
of the Canaanites.
Afterwards, Abram and his family traveled
south, by stages, toward the Negev, the 4500 square-mile wilderness (desert)
area of southern Judah. At that time there came a severe famine in the land,
which forced them to travel down to Egypt and wait it out (v.10). Before
crossing the border into Egypt, Abram reminded his beautiful wife, Sarai, of
their policy (which is explained in Genesis 20:11-13) that, whenever they
entered into a pagan land, to tell the occupants of that land that she is his
sister, rather than say that she was his wife.
Here (Vs.11-13), we see a scheme (human
ingenuity) by Abram, that was born out of his fear of man, as his concern for
his life, overpowered his faith and trust in GOD’s plan. Remember, GOD had
already made a promise to him that he would live to become the father of a
great nation of people, something that could not happen if he were killed. Here
it appears that GOD’s promise to Abram may have been thrown into jeopardy,
however, GOD, through HIS faithfulness to man, despite man’s unfaithfulness to
HIM, would later rescue Sarai from their “self-imposed” predicament.
In the ancient pagan world of monarchy, it
was a universal practice by kings to set up “two stages” harems for the
advancement of women, from the time of being chosen by the king, to actually
being admitted, or summoned into his presence for marriage, and consummation of
their marriage. Each woman chosen by the king to be his future wife would have
to spend at least a year getting groomed and prepared to actually be his wife,
and have personal or sexual contact with him as a wife (see Esther 2:12-14 for
further understanding of this practice in the Persian dynasties).
Also in pagan societies it was a common
occurrence for men to be killed by other men, especially rulers, in order to
take possession of their wives from them. However, it was also common practice
for a man in any society, pagan or otherwise, to woe the father, or the
responsible brother of a beautiful woman, in order to get permission from them
to marry her. And so Abram, as any other man would, rationalized that this plan
would be the safest way to go for both of them.
When Abram and Sarai entered into Egypt,
sure enough, Sarai, because of her beauty, was noticed by members of the king’s
court, and they quickly informed the pharaoh of her presence in his kingdom. As
a result she was immediately taken into his harem to begin her “preparation
process”, before actually being brought to the king to be married, and
consummated in marriage. Believing that Abram was Sarai’s brother, the pharaoh
gave him many gifts, and in fact, he enriched Abram greatly with many sheep,
cattle, donkeys, camels, and, male and female servants (Vs.14-16).
Even though Abram was treated very well by
the pharaoh, GOD sent a terrible plague upon the house of the pharaoh to get
his attention, and to inform him of his unintentionally sinful plans regarding
Sarai. At the same time, with this plague, the LORD instilled fear and respect
for HIMSELF in the heart (mind) of the pharaoh, so that he might not seek
revenge on Abram (GOD’s special servant),
for his deceit toward him, which was only successful because of his own
lust toward Sarai. And so the pharaoh called Abram before him, rebuked him
strongly, and sent him and Sarai out of Egypt under armed escort, along with
all of their relatives and belongings (Vs. 17-20).
And so GOD intervened and protected Sarai
from her husband’s foolish plan because of his promise to Abram, and despite
Abram’s unwitting failure to trust GOD at HIS word, the very first time his
life came under duress from the world. We can all count our blessings that GOD’
faithfulness to deliver us, does not hinge totally upon our obedience to HIM,
but rather, it hinges on HIS OWN mercy and grace, HIS reputation of
faithfulness, and HIS prevailing, sovereign plan for HIS greatest creation,
mankind.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
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