Abraham's Call (Gen. 12-13)

Good morning precious sisters!  I enjoyed our time together in God's Word yesterday morning with those of you who were there.  With anticipation, I look forward to all we have ahead of us on this journey together!  I am praying for you, that God will empower you to be faithful to your study of His holy Word.

Today we begin our in-depth look into the lives of the Patriarchs:  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.  These men will be our focus of study through the end of the book of Genesis.  As Michael said yesterday, you are likely to see yourself and your life circumstances somewhere in the upcoming pages of Genesis.  In fact, you may be discovering for the first time just how much the accounts of Biblical figures resemble a soap opera!  (Who needs tv, right?  Especially with what is on it these days!)

Below are some questions to use as you study Genesis 12-13, helping you to more fully understand the "what," "so what," and "where's Jesus?" in these chapters.

1. Why would you want to study the life of Abraham?  Look up the following verse to find out:  Isaiah 51:1-2 
2. For those of us who are not of Jewish descent, how does this apply to us?  Turn to Galatians 3:6-9 and Romans 4:3 (NIV) and 4:16-24 (The Message) to see why we as Gentile believers are included in the covenant God made with Abraham.
3. (Notice his name is still Abram at this point--when God changes someone's name in Scripture, it is because of a work He has done in their life...so watch for it.)  What a) command and b) promise did God give to Abram in Gen. 12:1-3?
4. According to Acts 7:2, when/where did this encounter between God and Abram occur?  How is it described?  From this moment on, Abram will leave the many gods that his people worship and follow the one true God, worshipping Him alone.  What a turning point in history!
5. Look again at the call and the promise in Genesis 12:1-3.  Why are we, as God's people, blessed?  The answer is tucked in at the end of verse 2 and the end of verse 3.  What does this mean for us as His people today?
6. What does Abram do twice in Gen. 12:7-9?  Why do you think this is significant?
7. Now try to wrap your mind around this one, especially in Abram's age where so much of the world was still unknown to man.  Read Hebrews 11:8.  What strikes you as crazy and amazing? 
8. Have you ever followed a calling from God in which you had no idea where you were going, but knew He wanted you to go?  As a pastor's wife, I have experienced this four times--but not to the extent Sarah did.  I have always known the PLACE to which we were headed, but sometimes with absolutely no idea why.  I laugh to imagine the conversation between the two of them as Abram explained to Sarai what God had told him to do, but having no idea where they were going (and they were leaving a booming metropolis area to become nomads, to boot!).  What a woman to obey and honor her husband as she did!  God even commends her for it and instructs us as women of God to follow her example in 1 Peter 3:6.  God never says our husbands must be perfect in order for us to respect and obey them (since we aren't perfect, either).  Example #1 of this takes place in Genesis 12:10-20, doesn't it?
9. What sin does Abram commit, and ask his wife Sarai to commit, for the sake of his own well-being?  (Historical note:  Sarai was actually Abram's half-sister, but a half-truth is still a lie!)  Who suffered the consequences of Abram's sin?  Besides the obvious distress it surely caused Sarai, see. v. 17-19 for the others afflicted.  Dear one, our sin always has consequences--either we pay the price ourselves, or someone else does.  We may think our sin has gone unnoticed and without effect, but sometimes the worst consequence is what it does to us on the inside and to our relationship with God.  Unfortunately, we can also reap the pain of other people's sin, especially those closest to us.  When a bomb explodes, those nearest are hurt the most.
10. Talk about some tense family dynamics!  Abram and Lot definitely have some struggles, in which Abram takes the high road and lets Lot choose his land first.  That choice of Lot's will prove to be a poor one in tomorrow's readings.  In Genesis 13:14-17, God reiterates His promise to Abram, giving Him a new task in verse 17.  What did God tell Abram to do in v. 17?  Has God ever told you to figuratively "walk on the land" He has given you (this usually comes in the form of a calling from God on your life, which does not necessarily mean professional church-work as we tend to believe, but rather the ministry in this world for which He has shaped and called you--Ephesians 2:10)?  If so, how did you respond?

I encourage you to print off these questions and write your answers down, then put them in the notebook you are keeping as we study through the Bible.  Bring these to our Bible class discussion on Sunday mornings so we can share what we have learned and you can ask questions for clarification.  This will greatly enhance our time together! 

For those of you outside Cypress or from another church, I encourage you to do the same.  At the end of this year, you will have quite a record of what God has taught you from His Word!

May the following be true of all of us:

Psalm 119:97-104
⁹⁷Oh how I love your law!
   It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
   for it is ever with me.
⁹⁹I have more understanding than all my teachers,
   for your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰I understand more than the aged,
   for I keep your precepts.
¹⁰¹I hold back my feet from every evil way,
   in order to keep your word.
¹⁰²I do not turn aside from your rules,
   for you have taught me.
¹⁰³How sweet are your words to my taste,
   sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴Through your precepts I get understanding;
   therefore I hate every false way.

Write this one on a notecard and commit to memory, dear one.  It will bless you as you pray it to your loving Father who hears the cry of your heart.