Introduction.
In the grey dawn of history, the first great character,
who arrests our attention, is that of Abraham. It
is our intention to "Follow the Footsteps of
Abraham", this man who was called "The
friend of God".
The one who is the father of the faithful, and the
spiritual father of all who believe. Welcome to
a very exiting story.
We shall follow
his footsteps as he seeks to go forward with God,
exercising faith. The Honour roll of faith records
of him!
Heb 11:8 By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into
a place, which he should after receive for an inheritance,
obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he
went.
We shall look
at this man's strength and his weakness. We will
look at his success and his dismal failure. We shall
examine his Trials, his Triumphs, his Great Faith
and his grave fear. From his experience we shall
learn the valuable lessons, which God taught him
in the school of faith. Also the Profound principles'
he must apply his life. Principles that will guide
us in discovering and doing God's will
Abraham stands
out as one of the greatest Old Testament examples
for New Testament Christians. He emerges as a man,
who desired more than anything else, to discover
God's will and to do God's will, going forward in
faith.
Abraham is
presented to us in Scripture as a normal human being.
He was no superman; he made mistakes like the rest
of us. But his direction was always one way. His
eyes were on God-on the coming Saviour Jesus Christ.
He looked forward
and he moved forward in faith. It should be the
earnest desire of every child of God to go forward
with God, walking in fellowship with the Lord, the
one who is the spring of all comfort and the source
of all blessing.
Believers need
to go forward in their Christian experience. The
Church must not live in the past; it must go forward
in faith, bringing the means of Grace to the present
generation by using the gifts and resources, which
the Lord has given.
The Church
cannot live in the past or on past blessing, neither
can it afford to be at ease in Zion. The Church
must not be fearful of the future, or reluctant
to try new projects, or afraid to take steps of
faith to extend the kingdom of God. When "faith"
is lacking, Christians cannot be effective in their
witness for God.
The Church,
can be so like God's ancient people Israel, of whom
it says in
Deut 2 "They took their journey by the way
of the Red Sea and the compassed Mount Seir many
days" Then the Lord said to them " You
have compassed this mountain long enough, turn you
northward"
God's dear
people had been going around in circles for forty
years. They had wandered in the wilderness because
of their unbelief. It took them forty years to complete
a journey that should have been completed in forty
days.
They had been
gloriously saved by the Grace of God and delivered
from their Egyptian bondage. They had been "Sanctified"
set apart for God to be His own special people,
but they were stuck in the wilderness because they
had failed to trust God and to go forward in faith.
Abraham, their forefather, went forward with God
in faith; he took God at His word.
Heb 11:9-10
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as
in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with
Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations,
whose builder and maker is God.
God's people
are a people who are on the move! Pilgrims and strangers,
this world is not our home we are just passing through!
We are travelling homeward to heaven the beautiful
city of God, and we are to walk by faith and not
by sight.
"Faith
is the substance of things hoped for the evidence
of things not seen"
Yet, there
are many Believers who are like Israel of old. The
Grace of God, has sanctified, and saved them, but
they are stuck in the wilderness of this old world.
They are not making progress nor going forward with
God in faith. There are also many Churches who are
just going around in circles because they will not
let go of the past and go forward with God.
Some Christians
are so afraid of failure, that they become reserved,
overly cautious, and uninvolved in life. They follow
a policy of guarded living, holding back time and
talents from God's service.
Their motto is: To keep from failing -- don't try!
On the other
hand, those, who are willing to make mistakes and
risk failure, are the ones who ultimately achieve
great things. Instead of being filled with fear
they go forward in faith. Problems are challenges.
While they may not all be solved, these courageous
people would rather live with that reality than
have a clean record of no failures and no accomplishments.
It was Benjamin
Franklin who said
"The man who does things makes many mistakes,
but he never makes the biggest mistake of all --
doing nothing."
As we "Follow the Amazing Abraham" we
will take note of his steps of faith.
All of which
are to be seen in the life of Abraham, the father
of the faithful.
As we lay the foundation to these studies there
are three very important facts that we must lay
hold of and then remember as we study this man's
life.
1. His Prominent
Place in Scripture.
Abraham is
a character of unique importance in scripture in
fact he is the most illustrious personage in ancient
history. Abraham is the Progenitor of the Nation
of Israel and the spiritual father of all who believe.
Consider his
Prominence in the page of Holy Scripture.
When we study
the book of Genesis, we find that Chapters 1-11-cover
the first two thousand years of human history, twenty
generations are covered in eleven brief chapters.Let
me give you a compressed history as recorded in
the first eleven chapters of Genesis.
Gen Ch.1-3.
The Creation of man; and the Origin of sin.
In chapter
4, The first murder, when Cain killed his brother
Abel.
Gen Ch 6-9
The rapid multiplication and the spread of violence
and wickedness, resulting in the flood and God's
judgement on a sin sick society.
We also see
that because Noah was a righteous man, a man who
walked with God; he found favour in the eyes of
the Lord, and was preserved along with his family.
After the flood mankind multiplied on the earth,
and true to form, soon turned away from the God
of heaven.
In some respects,
the deterioration became even greater than before
the flood.
The Apostle Paul's, description of human degeneracy
in the book of Romans highlights the awfulness of
sin that existed in the world when God first appeared
to Abraham.
Rom 1:21 because
that, when they knew God, they glorified him not
as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in
their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened.
Rom 1:22 professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible
God into an image made like to corruptible man,
and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping
things.
The result
of this devastating slide of sin brought forth some
of the most tragic statements in the Bible. Paul
says -- Rom 1
"God gave
man over to the lusts of his own heart
That their
bodies might be dishonoured among them. For they
exchanged "the Truth of God for a lie",
and they worshiped and served the creature rather
than their creator
"God gave
them over to degrading passions"
Women exchanged
their natural function for that which is unnatural!
Men burned with desire towards one another. Rom
1:27- Men committed indecent acts with other men,
and received in themselves the due penalty for their
perversion.
"God gave
them over to a depraved mind".
What a Tragedy!
When God purified and cleansed the earth from sin
by means of the flood, He gave mankind another chance
to walk with Him in His way, but man again turned
his back on God and went on his own sinful way.
But God is
ever a God of love! Even in Judgement, he was loved
mankind, giving them another chance. Though, God
hates man's sin, He still loves all men.
So in the midst
of human decadence, which had permeated the earth,
God began to fulfil a marvellous plan to provide
Redemption for all mankind. To implement this plan
God chose one man, Abraham through whom He would
bless all Nations.
The second
section in the book of Genesis begins with the record
of Abraham.
The remainder of the book chapters 12-50, which
cover a period of about 400 years, record the history
of Abraham, his son Isaac, his grandson Jacob, and
his great grandson Joseph.
The rest of
the Old Testament deals with the history of the
Nation, which came forth from Abraham, the chosen
Nation of Israel. The entire Bible centres on Abraham's
greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ
I state these
simple facts at the very outset of these studies
that you might appreciate the strategic place that
this man hold in the revelation of God's plan for
Salvation.
God's choice
and call of Abraham marks the beginning of His special
dealings with men, after man's fall into sin, and
after the flood waters of judgement, which fell
because of man's sin; a beginning that was consummated
in his seed, in his posterity.
This consummation
is first seen in the emergence of the Nation of
Israel.
Secondly, it is seen in the first Advent of the
Lord Jesus, when He came to this earth to die as
the Saviour of men.
True Religion!
Which is a right living relationship with God, through
Sovereign Grace, Redeeming Blood, regenerating faith,
can clearly be traced back to Abraham.
Abraham never speaks of God as the God of his fathers!
But after Abraham, men speak of God as the God of
their Fathers! And God speaks of Himself as "the
God of Abraham"
The foundation
of all that follows from Gen 12 onwards, is the
remarkable development of the--- Divine initiative.
The Divine
Choice. The Divine Call. The Divine Covenant.
The Confirmation
of which is known as the Abrahamic covenant.
These were
all acts of the Sovereign Grace of God; unmerited
favour was extended to Abraham. It was God who chose
Abraham; Abraham did not choose God. It was God
who called Abraham; Abraham did not take the initiative
and call upon God.
Wonder of all
wonders, God chose Abraham to be His special friend,
and He gave Himself to be Abraham's God. God's choice
of Abraham was Sovereign, it was all of His Grace.
He has chosen us in the same way in Christ. He hath
chosen us in Christ; he has called us from the place
of sin and idolatry unto Himself.
We did not
choose Him, we did not deserve Him, we did not call
upon Him, He has called us and we responded by faith.
We have been chosen and called by His grace and
now are accepted in the beloved.
Chosen of God;
ere time begun;
His sovereignty we prove
With Christ our head; accounted one
In bonds of Covenant love.
Chosen as sons
and heirs of God
Our names are there in heaven
Chosen to life through Jesus' blood
Our Sins are all forgiven
But for Grace,
my soul had perished, withered as the desert sand;
Gone to shadows, and tormented, but for Grace's
perfect plan!
God dealt with
Abraham in Grace. He then promised to bless him
and his descendants, and later He confirmed this
with solemn covenant seals. From this point onward,
the hope of blessing for all men had its foundation
on the fulfilment of God's Covenant with Abraham.
Every blessing that is enjoyed by man today is evidence
of the fulfilling of God's covenant with Abraham,
His friend of old.
God said in
the "Abrahamic Covenant" " In thee
shall all the families of the earth be blessed"
We will look at this covenant in a future study.
But for the
moment how blessed it is to keep in mind that our
God never breaks His word for it is settled in heaven
and He always keeps His promises.
After the death
of Abraham, the Lord appeared to his son Isaac and
said to him
Gen 26:3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with
thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto
thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I
will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham
thy father;
Gen 26:4-5
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars
of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these
countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations
of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed
my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my
statutes, and my laws.
The Lord reaffirms,
his promise to Isaac.
"I will be with you "I will Bless you"
"I will give you the land" "I will
multiply your seed" and in your seed all the
nations of the earth will be blessed"
I will bless
you Isaac for Abraham's sake because he obeyed my
voice, my charge, my statues, my laws. The Lord
will always bless where He finds Obedience to Him.
What God promised
to do for Abraham and through him, He would fulfil.
He is still fulfilling His promise and will continue
to do so until His Plan and Purpose for this world
and its people come to its consummation.
When Israel
cried out because of their Affliction in the land
of Egypt their cry came before the Lord. And God
heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant
with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. Exod.
2:24
It was explicitly
as the God of Abraham that the Lord delivered them
and brought them out by the mighty hand of His power.
All that God has done for Israel in the past, what
He is doing in the present, and what He will do
in the future, when He makes Israel the head of
the Nations will be on the grounds of the Covenant
He made with Abraham.
When Jesus,
the Saviour was born, godly Israelites appreciated
that He was born in fulfilment of the Covenant that
God had made with their forefather Abraham.
The song of
Mary goes like this.
Luke 1:54-55
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance
of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham
and to his seed forever."
Jesus was born
to save and He came to save His people from their
sin, (the seed of Abraham) but they received Him
not. The writer to the Hebrews says of Him.
Heb 2:16-17
for verily he took not on him the nature of angels;
but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be
made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining
to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the
people.
Salvation has
come through the Jew; through the lineage of Abraham,
through Christ. Whosoever embraces salvation become
the offspring of Abraham, joint heirs by faith according
to the promise. The Blessings that you and I now
enjoy in Christ are the fruit of God's promise to
Abraham.
His Prominent
Place in Scripture.
The Principle
His Life Portrays in Scripture
Gen 15:6 and
he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him
for righteousness. Abraham introduces all who read
the scripture to the way of responding to God, which
is open to men. "The Just shall live by Faith"
Gal 3:6-8 Even
as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to
him for righteousness Know ye therefore that they
which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God
would justify the heathen preached before through
faith, the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee
shall all nations be blessed.
The great Principle,
which the life of Abraham highlights, is that the
Law justifies no man. Righteousness with God is
on the grounds of faith alone, for without faith
it is impossible to please God.
By faith we
can say, I am His by "Election" through
"Redemption"
And reserved for "Glorification"
We are to show
that we are His through our "Commitment to
Him and to the cause of the Gospel.
The Principle
His Life Portrays in Scripture
Have Faith
in God O heart, Trust and be Unafraid
God will fulfil in every part, each promise He has
made
Have faith in God O soul, His cross forever stands
And neither life or death; can pluck us from Hid
hand
The Promise God gave him in Scripture.
Gen 12: 2
1. Personal Blessing "I will bless you and
make your name great"
2. National
Blessing "I will make of thee a great Nation"
God brought
Israel into being! Then she was scattered among
the nations of the world because of her sin, having
rejected her Messiah. Israel was reborn as a nation
in 1948; she is now back in part of the land. Today
Israel is a military force to be feared by her enemies.One
day Israel will be the superpower of this world.
Universal Blessing
v 3 "In thee shall all the families of the
earth be blessed"
This is being fulfilled today during this dispensation
of Grace when God is calling out a people unto Himself
from every nation and kindred as he builds His Church.
God made a
promise to Abraham; faith believed it, hope anticipated
it, patience quietly awaits it. Yet how slow we
can be to exercise real faith! And rest on the promises
of God.
Illustration---
I recall a story about a man who had to cross a
wide river of ice. He was afraid it might be too
thin, so he began to crawl on his hand and knees
and great terror gripped him. He thought he might
fall through at any moment. Just as he neared the
opposite riverbank, all exhausted, another man glided
past him sitting on a sledge with his Wife and son
and they were joyfully singing.
This man is
just like so many Christians today, who tremble
at every step, lest the divine promises break under
their feet.
They fail to realise the truth that God is their
salvation and the Lord is their strength and song.
Isa 12:2
By resting
completely upon Him and taking His promises at face
value, we can drive out the paralysing fear that
hinders our effectiveness in serving Christ.
Lord Increase our feeble faith!
For Faith is needed all the
way
Faith to Toil Faith to Pray
Faith to start each day anew
Faith to do our duty to
Faith to smile though sad within
Faith to conquer ever sin
Faith to ask Him for His care
While we our earthly trials bear
Faith to smother every sigh
Faith to live Faith to die
