REALLY?
Question of the day: When do you first remember trusting God with something?
This lesson today is graciously taught by Paul. Thank you Paul!
Today as we look at Genesis 12 I think you will begin to understand the title of the lesson. REALLY? That is what I kept saying as I read it. We all know the story, but it is a fascinating read.
It isn't very long so we will read it together in class.
The Call of Abram
12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring[c] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
Abram in Egypt
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
17 But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.
Following last weeks lesson, and the tower of Babel, what about verses 1-3 strikes you?
We did talk a little bit about this last week.
What were the two reasons for building the tower of Babel?
They wanted to be known and they didn't want to scatter.
Then God tells Abram that He (God) will make him known, and to go!
So let's look at these two points.
1. GO
What is interesting about the "GO"? How much instruction and direction did he give Abram?
How many of us are comfortable "Going" with that much information?
What about those of us who are planners?
REALLY GOD? WHY?
What keeps us from being willing to go without clear direction?
2. I WILL
God gives Abram this beautiful promise. In this promise we see, "I will" said a lot!
What do the "I will" (s) tell us?
He is the one to make great!
He is the one to bless!
He is the one to curse!
These two points, Go and "I WILL" both call for a surrendered faith.
Both require God giving the direction, God giving the blessing,
Are we willing to let God take us to places even if He doesn't share with us where he is taking us before we have to start moving?
Are we?
Are we willing to let him be the one to bless us instead of us working so hard to grasp and make the blessings happen?
Are we willing to let go and let God.... (You knew that was coming...) LOL!
Moving on to the next section:
What do we learn or know about Abram based on verses 4-9?
What life application can we take away from these verses?
Now for the REALLY big REALLY????? (s)
1. God tells Abram to go to this land at this time and then what happens?
Why does God allow there to be a famine when there at that time if that is where God sent Abram and company?
Have you ever known God was calling you to go somewhere and then things didn't work out the way you had hoped or planned?
Does that make you doubt or question the first calling?
What is the point God?
REALLY?
2. Abram tells Sarai to lie about who she is so that he will be spared, seriously?
He was willing to have his wife marry a foreign King.
REALLY?
Let's unpack this section a bit.
First what do we know about Sarai?
She must have been really something! Not just average beautiful, but a stunner...
Ladies first.....
What was your take on this passage?
Men?.....
I found this post by Brenne Brown perfect for this section. It wasn't the fear.... but the armor. Unpack that together!
If we only had verses 1-9 what would you say about Abram and how would that be different if you only had verses 10-20?
What a contrast!
Who is he?
The man who will follow God, trust him and just go?
The man who just decides to find a solution and make it happen regardless of how it is for his wife? Arguably no faith at all?
I found it interesting that he didn't even consider this a matter to consult with God about.
Do we do that?
Do we ever fail to take challenges or fears to God, and just try to handle them ourselves?
Life application?
Or what can we learn from this lesson and apply to our lives?
1. Our faith is a journey and there will be peaks and valleys. Days where we trust and days when we don't even ask for guidance. It is a journey, learn from the valleys, and remember the peaks. When Abram built the alters he was remembering God's promises and his guiding and leading.
2. To lie gets you no where good!
3. Remember the "I will" (s). Remember it is God who blesses and God who directs, and God who curses. It is He not me!
4. It isn't easy being beautiful!
5. He may be calling you to start walking before he tells you where you are going!
6.
7.
I am sure there are many more you will come up with!
Happy Sabbath!
Know Love.
Live Love.
Share Love.
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