Preschool
Come out from among them, and be ye separate (2 Corinthians 6:17).
God Calls Abram Out
Memory Verses
Primary
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Junior
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Background Scripture: Genesis 11:27-32; Genesis 12-13
Lesson Scripture: Genesis 12:1-9; 13:1-4
Introduction
Abraham is known as the father of faith. He received this commendation because of his obedience, which is a fruit of faith. God called Abram out of the old country of comfortable culture and family ties into a land unknown to him in which he had no permanent dwelling—a land where he could exercise complete reliance on God. We love to read about Abraham and his faith; it inspires, challenges, and beckons us to follow his example deeper into the will of God.
Key Verse
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Pet. 2:9).
Lesson Scripture
Genesis 12:1 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:
2 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:
3 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.
4 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.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.
8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.
9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
13:1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.
Studying the Lesson
Abram was born about 300 years after the flood. It appears that Abram grew up under idolatry (Josh. 24:2). The Bible begins the record of Abram’s life at about seventy years of age, so it is unclear when Abram may have turned from idolatry. Did God see a desire for truth in him while he was in paganism and speak to him, calling him out of the old way into a new country? It may not really matter, yet it could be similar to a conversion experience. God calls us even when we are in sin and draws us to a new country of freedom and service to God. The important thing is that Abram believed God and followed the voice that revealed the will of God to him.
As we follow the story of Abram’s life, the different times God moved upon him and called him to a closer walk and a deeper sanctification are noticeable. It was not something done once but a continuous, living, working experience. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared and made a covenant with him, changing his name to Abraham, for he was to be a father of many nations. Because of his faithfulness he was blessed with earthly riches. Abram did not use his power, wealth, and influence to set up his own kingdom as a strongman but rather lived in tents and was ready to move when God directed. He allowed God to establish him and accomplish what He wanted. God worked to separate him even from all his former family ties.
God had a purpose in calling Abram out of the old country and establishing him in a new land. Looking back, we understand God’s intent to raise up an Israelite nation that was separated unto Him. God’s working to separate Abram in a literal and physical way from earthly ties was a shadow of things to come for Christians. Does God require any less of a sacrifice of us than he did of Abram? Abram likely did not see the picture so clearly, but “[he] 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” (Gal. 3:6-7).
Practical Truths for Today
An experience of new birth places us on a journey to God’s spiritual Canaan. The beginning of the journey is not the ending, and faith is not something we arrive at but that which we exercise as it continues to grow. We can easily get discouraged if we find the old nature and its temptations rise up soon after we begin on this road, but we should never fear living life for God, trusting in his care and growing under his discipline.
When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they likely expected a quick journey and entrance into a land prepared for their comfort. The reality was that because of unbelief, they sojourned in the wilderness for forty years. Do some hear the call of God and begin their journey only to wander about in a lack of faith? Taking the hand of God and securing the inheritance of his promised land always comes with a price—a letting go of self. Once the Israelites entered the promised land, they had to fight to remove the wickedness of that country, yet it was a place of prosperity and blessing when they were in God’s will.
Abram lived a transitory life dwelling in tents, but not because he was unsettled or unfulfilled. Sometimes we would like to settle in a place of repose and tranquility, but God’s ways are not our ways. He brings us to a place for his purpose, not only for our comfort and pleasure. When his intention for us there is done, he leads us through sanctification into the next work.
We appreciate the culture that accompanies true Christianity, and it is good. It has developed over many years by people following God and trying to find a way through this world, we must remember that following Jesus is the reason for promoting a certain way of living, and it is only through Christ’s blessing that we can enjoy what we have.
Do we sometimes try to uphold a culture and add Jesus to it, or is our way of life a product of Christ-centered living? Christ calls us to give Him our allegiance. Family ties and cultural considerations can keep us from moving with God. God eventually removed all of Abram’s family from him, even asking him to sacrifice the longed-for son of promise. We need to come to the place where these ties are surrendered to Christ so that they will not be a hindrance to the leading of the Spirit. Living for God will not leave us lonely but will rather enhance and enrich those bonds that are formed with family and friends.
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Heb. 11:13-16). If we could catch the same vision these faithful ones had, how much less mindful would we be of the ways of the world in which we live? Worldliness clouds our vision of that heavenly country to which we really belong. Politics, materialism, and temptations of all kinds seek to draw our hearts away. This scripture says these faithful examples were not thinking of their old country. This kind of faith is not only an ideal to strive toward but a living truth that calls and transforms us from seeking that which is temporal and earthly into desiring that which is eternal and not seen.
Questions
- What could be some indications of being satisfied with life and not fully entering into God’s promised land?
- How can we get a better understanding of God’s discipline and sanctification and not get discouraged by what is required?
- What are some seemingly acceptable activities that might suggest a love for the world?
- Unsubscribe
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).