God calls Abraham and He Obeys
Theme: A Journey with Abraham
Theme Verse: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Hebrews 11:8 NIV
Readings: Genesis 11:26-12:4
Optional Readings: Proverbs 3:5-6
Memory Verse: Hebrews 11:8 See Theme Verse
Background: Terah, Abraham's father and his family lived in Ur near the northern end of the Persian Gulf, among the Chaldeans. Where are Ur and Haran today? Ur is on the ancient river-bed of the Euphrates, now 9 miles away. Ur is in present day Iraq and Haran is near the border between Syria and Iraq (don't know which side) on what we learned in school was the Fertile Crescent. Haran was on a tributary of the Euphrates at the "top" of the Fertile Crescent. Iraq is also the area where later the Assyrian and Babylonian empires were.
Terah's family seems to have had some kind of knowledge of Yahweh, the "I AM". (In the Bible "LORD" in capital letters is substituted for God's name since they thought it was too holy to say.) When Abraham's servant goes and finds Abraham's brother's family in Haran to get a wife for Isaac, they recognized and use the name of the LORD (Genesis 24:4-6, 50).
We learn from Stephen in Acts 7:2-5 that God first appeared and spoke to Abram in Mesopotamia (Ur) before he lived in Haran, and told him to "Depart from your land and from your kindred and go to a land which I will show you. Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, God removed him from there into this land (Canaan)" He was headed in the direction of Canaan but he stopped. Remember he doesn't know where he is going but he and his father's family start out and go as far as Haran. (In that period there was a large movement of people in that direction.) This is partial obedience because he was also told to leave his kindred but God was patient with him just as he is with us. Terah and Abram seem to be disobedient here since they knew what God had said to Abraham. Probably Abraham was torn between being a good son and completely obeying God. Also, why did they "settle" in Haran? In spite of incomplete obedience, delays and wrong turns, God still keeps his promises. (Recall Jonah.) God loves us and is very patient with us and forgives us when we ask. God kept after Abraham as he keeps after us, to fulfill HIS plans.
God's word comes to Abram again after his father, Terah, dies, and the only relative he takes this time is his nephew, Lot (which causes problems later). He keeps on traveling till God tells him he has arrived (vs. 7) in the promised land. (But it is full of people!) Note that we're told Sarah couldn't have children. This will be important later. God is setting something up.
Note that Abram is engaged in radical obedience. God's commands didn't "make sense" from a human perspective. Don't let the comfort and security of your present position make you miss God's plan for you. "By faith Abraham obeyed...and he went out, not knowing where he was going." (Hebrews 1:8) It was like God saying, pack up a U-Haul and head West! I'll tell you when you get there. Word received: He didn't know where he was going but he knew Me, and that was sufficient for him. I want to be sufficient for you as well--trust Me. Go forth with Me, at My direction. I love you.
The basis of Abraham's obedience was his personal relationship with God (Yahweh) whom he trusted. Are we willing to let that be sufficient for us too? Have you, or someone you know, had any personal experience of doing this? Word received: I AM calling you to places where you do not know. Have faith in Me! Believe in Me and My word! Follow Me! (How does this apply in the present to a Christian family, a parish, a diocese, the Body of Christ?)
We see Abraham living out the truth of Proverbs 3:5-6. He trusted and God directed him. Word received: "I will direct your paths" That is My promise to you. Your way, your paths will be in My hands if you trust Me as Abraham did. Notice that Proverbs 3:5-6 is both a command and a conditional promise.
God really thinks obedience is important! Word received: "By faith Abraham obeyed"(Hebrews11:8) Obedience is a major component of faith. Faith is a trusting relationship with Me. (It is not a relationship of equals. It is a relationship where, by faith, you choose obedience.) Abraham not only obeyed God once but he chose it over and over. There were times he failed but he got up and kept on choosing to obey. Most of the time he was prompt in his obedience. Word received: I want the same obedience from you as I got from Abraham. Prayer: Lord, help me to obey you promptly and completely.
Much has been written about the contrast between Paul's letters about "justification by faith" and James talking about "faith without works is dead". But Paul also talks about bringing people to "the obedience of faith" in Romans 1:5. Faith is not something passive.
Jesus also stressed obedience and modeled it. "If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love."(John 15:10) Those who hear and obey his word will be like those who built a house on the rock, which survived the hurricanes of life. Not to obey God is to choose to disobey. Jesus also talks about loving him MORE--a lot more--than we love our families. (When he says "hate" it is a Semitic exaggeration for the sake of emphasis.) In John 12:26 Jesus says "Whoever serves me must follow me...My father will honor the one who serves me." Jesus promises that his disciples who have left family and lands will receive "one hundred fold" --and eternal life. This was in contrast to the rich young ruler who was unwilling to leave everything behind and follow Jesus.
What were the blessings God promised to Abraham in the beginning? God promised him that he would be the ancestor of a great nation, that God would bless him personally and make his name great. Abraham is really important in the Bible. His name (after it was changed) appears 119 times in Genesis, 41 times in the rest of the Hebrew Bible, and 88 times in the New Testament. Abraham is very important to Jews, Christians and Muslim.
God promised that Abraham would BE a blessing to others, that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. This was fulfilled in Jesus, through whom all of us Gentiles (non-Jews) were about to become part of God's family. We are the spiritual descendents of Abraham when we too live by faith and obedience. Abraham was to be a blessing to the Jewish people (his descendents), "I will bless those who bless you and him who curses you I will curse."
Word received: Blessing flows out of obedience to Me. Abraham was willing to leave behind what he knew in order to receive the blessings I had for him. Are you prepared to leave behind the present good in order to receive My future blessing?
A New Testament example of this is the disciples, James and John, leaving the family business to "Follow Me" when Jesus called. Word received: I have a promise for you too--if you believe in Me, you will have eternal life. (John 3:16) Will you listen to Me like Abraham did?
"Abraham was 75 years old when he departed from Haran." (vs.4) Word received: When do you say, "I am too old" or "I am too young" to serve the Lord? There is no age limit in My kingdom. Remember Moses was about 80 when God called him. Samuel was a small boy when God first spoke to him.
Prayer: "The righteous shall be glad in the Lords, and trust in him and all the upright in heart shall glory. (Psalm 64:10)" We are glad and trust in you, O Lord. Glory to you, O Lord.
TEACHER IDEAS FOR LESSON #3
Please read the Study Guide first!
Make sure the children know what is happening in the reading and who the important people are.
Make sure they understand the memory verse. Then have them say it to you.
Use the WORDS in a simple way. This is what Jesus told the teachers about the lesson.
MAIN ideas the little ones should get from the lesson.
1. God has a wonderful plan for your life.
2. To know the plan we have to want to be God's friend and listen and follow what He says.
3. God wants us to trust him and obey him--even when we don't know how it will turn out. God loves it when we obey him.
4. When we obey God we receive his blessings.
5. You are never too young to serve God and hear him.
ACTIVITIES
Show the children the big map in the hall and where Ur and Haran are. Tell them that
this country is called IRAQ now.
Walk Through the Bible hand gestures and key words to help us remember the basic event in the first three lessons, in order. More later.
Key Words: Creation, Fall, Flood, Nations, 4000 years (ago), Ur, Persian Gulf, "SALT"=
Sarah-Abraham-Lot-Terah, Tigris-Euphrates (rivers), Haran:Terah dies-Awwww.
We will meet in the undercroft and go thru the gestures so we will know them. and then urge you to repeat them in the classroom so the children will remember.
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