According to God’s calling, Abram left the land of his ancestry (Ur of the Chaldeans, two-hundred miles south of Bagdad in modern day Iraq). Genesis 11:31.
Abram and family traveled several
hundred miles northwest to Haran, (southern Turkey). There Abram’s father Terah,
died. Genesis 11:32.
After that, Abram headed southwest
about 400 miles to Shechem, in the land of Promise, modern day Israel.
There in Shechem the Lord appeared to
him, and spoke with him. There Abram built an altar to the Lord. Genesis 12:7.
Then Abram journeyed south, about 20
miles to Bethel (House of God), and there, once again, he built an altar to the
Lord. Genesis 12:8.
There were Canaanites in the land, (Genesis 12:6); they were those who (some 500 years later) would strike fear in hearts of the Israelites, they’d even call them giants.
However, Abram barely gives them a
second thought.
When your eyes
are on the Creator, even giants, look like grasshoppers.
For no good reason that we know of, Abram
continued his journey south, further from Shechem, where the Lord appeared and
spoke with him; further from Bethel, (House of God) where he built an altar and
called on the name of the Lord.
Then, somewhere south of God’s Presence,
Abram lost his compass and his courage. He who didn’t blink in the face of
giants, now is afraid of the weather.
Abram looked at the weather, rather than
the Weather Maker. He allowed circumstance to be his guide, and walked completely
out of the country to which God had called him. He dropped from the Promise
Land to the land of bondage; Egypt. Genesis 12:10.
Outside God’s calling he was blinded
by fear and deception.
They will kill
me, so Sarai, my beautiful wife, please lie—tell them you’re my sister. Genesis
12:13.
She did, and wound up in line to be
one of Pharoah’s wives.
And just like that, Abram managed to screw
up his marriage and God’s plan of Salvation for the entire human race.
Thankfully, God has a screwdriver big enough to unscrew any of our screw ups.
God stepped in, rescued Sarai and had
them packing back to the Promise Land, to the place where his tent had been
at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar
which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the
Lord. Genesis 13:3b-4.
Lot also, who went with Abram, had
flocks and herds and tents.
We said it before and we’ll say it
again, Lot was a lot, of trouble.
Notice Lot went with Abram. Not, Lot went
with God.
Abram went with God.
Lot went with Abram.
6 Now the land was not able to support them,
that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they
could not dwell together.
Abram and Lot, had a lot, of stuff. So
much livestock that the land couldn’t support them, thus they couldn’t dwell together.
America has so much stuff that the
cars won’t fit in the garage. The Self-Storage places are full…of stuff that
nobody ever looks at.
They could not dwell together.
The true cost of
any possession, is not the dollar value, but the cost in time and energy.
Does it cost priceless time away from what’s
most important? Does it rob energy that should be invested in family?
7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of
Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.
God's grace is sufficient for you,
to meet your particular need, or burden, or cross to bear.
God’s Grace is sufficient for you.
Not your nephew. (Or, neighbor. Niece.
Brother. Sister. Family member. Friend…).
Without God’s grace, there is no peace,
and strife follows.
7…The
Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.
The world is watching the strife.
The world is watching Christians. Especially
when they fight.
Oct. 6, 2023 Israel was divided. They argued
about praying in public in Tel Aviv.
Oct. 7th Hamas attacked.
Strife emboldens the enemy.
Divide and conquer they say; (when in
strife, we’ve helped the enemy win half the battle—the “dividing” is already done).
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no
strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we
are brethren.
Read: 1 Corinthians 6:1-3,7-8
“Why do you not
rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”
9 Is not the whole land before
you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the
right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”
God gave Abram His grace, which comes
with His Wisdom, Peace and Spiritual eyes.
Romans 12:18, If it is possible, as much as depends on
you, live peaceably with all men.
When God is your Portion, your
Provider, then, there’s no stress over stuff. It doesn’t matter to you which
plot Lot picks, you’re already satisfied, and have need of nothing.
Have you ever noticed how serious
illness, inheritances, funerals, bring out the best and worst in folks.
Some only want what’s best for
the person.
Others only want what’s best from
the person.
The true colors of their walk with God
can’t be hid.
Abram’s true color shines brilliantly
here.
It appears he learned a valuable
lesson in Egypt. He may have gained gifts from Pharoah, but he almost lost (gave
away) what really mattered most—his wife, Sarai.
Now, it appears he has his priorities
turned upside right.
10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain
of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom
and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go
toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of
Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.
Lot used his eyes, without asking for
God’s insight; he chose for himself-ish.
12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan,
Hallelujah. Abram dwelt
in Canaan.
He’s finally catching on, settling
down, rambling fever is gone.
Abram settles into the place God’s
been pointing to all along.
…and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and
pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly
wicked and sinful against the Lord.
Abram walked with God.
Lot walked with the wicked. It would
cost him dearly.
The folks from kibbutzim in Israel are
peace loving folks who dared to dwell near the evils of hamas, many perhaps
like Lot, thought they could make peace with them. They’d give them rides to the
doctor, or work, they employed many.
They naively thought they could
befriend the wicked, tame the snake. They are the ones hamas beheaded, burned,
raped, kidnapped and worse on Oct. 7, 2023.
14 And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot
had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place
where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward;
Notice after Lot
separated…
Seeing our Promise Land may be delayed
if we keep hanging around the wrong crowd.
It’s as if God is saying, “Finally,
alone at last.” God had told him, “Get out, from your family, from
your father’s house…”
Finally, after many months (or years) and nearly
2,000 miles, finally. Now look…
God was speaking to Abram about physical
location, but to us, it’s Spiritual.
Look from the
place where you are, (right
where you’re at, right here, right now) look and see your Promise Land, right
before your very eyes.
Provision. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33.
Protection. God is our refuge and strength, an
ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth
shakes and the mountains fall into the sea. Psalm 46:1-2.
Wisdom. If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who
gives to all liberally without reproach. James 1:5.
Direction. Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He
shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
Peace. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7.
The Word is near you, even in your mouth and
heart, the Word of faith. Romans 10:8.
15 for all the land which you see I give to you
and your descendants forever.
Forever,
Spoken by God to Abram about 4,000 years
ago and it’s still true.
Even when Israel was 400 years in Egyptian
slavery, even during their 40 years of wilderness wandering; during Joshua’s
conquering; and even when they were conquered by Assyria in 722BC; and carried
captive by Babylon in 597BC; when sacked in 70AD by Rome; through Hitler’s
genocidal holocaust; from 1948 when they finally went home; through the wars of
1948, 67, 73, 23 and all the others, and those ongoing, and those to come; God’s
Promise to Israel stands True.
A remnant, remains. And will, stay,
through the soon coming Ez. 38-39 Gog Magog war, through Armageddon, through
the Millennium…all the way to the time when time will be no more and eternity
begins where there will be a New Heaven, New Earth, and NEW JERUSALEM.
GOD BLESS ISRAEL AND HIS PEOPLE, COME
QUICKLY LORD JESUS THE PEACE OF ISRAEL AND THE WORLD.
16 And I will make your descendants as the dust
of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your
descendants also could be numbered.
Inside this verse
we see, Seed, and seed.
Seed, with a capital “S.”
Through the Seed of Abraham,
Jesus the Messiah will come and all nations of the earth will be blessed. This
includes you, if you are a Christian, if you have received the Seed (Jesus
Christ) as your Lord and Savior, then you are Christ’s and thereby a seed
(small “s”) of Abraham.
Galatians 3:16, 29.
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does
not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who
is Christ.
29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s
seed, and heirs according to the promise.
17 Arise, walk in the land through its length
and its width, for I give it to you.”
The land God gave Abraham is large,
about 300,000 Square miles.
Abraham didn’t know it, but in a way,
he was walking the fence line of his property while on his journey from Ur (Iraq),
to Haran, (southern Turkey) through Israel, into Egypt and back.
Israel currently is only about 8,000 square
miles.
Arabs possess about 5.2 million square
miles.
The fighting against Israel, has never
been about the land. It’s a demonic afront against God’s promises to man.
18 Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt
by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an
altar there to the Lord.
Hebron, is about twenty miles SW of Jerusalem
today.
Abraham still lived there when Sarah
died. As a burial place, he bought a field and cave in Machpelah near Mamre from
the Hittite Ephron.
The Hittites respectfully offered to give
any cave to Abraham; but he insisted on paying for it. Gen. 23.
Hebron, means place of joining; alliance; friend.
The cave of Machpelah, known today by
the Jews as the “Cave (or Tomb) of the Patriarchs” is considered the second
holiest site in all Israel.
Today it is under Palestinian control
and muslims refer to it as the Sanctuary of Abraham.
Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rebecca,
and Leah are buried there.
Hebron is the place Caleb requests,
“Give me this mountain”
King David anointed king and reigned
from Hebron for the first seven years.
Here Abram builds an altar to the
Lord.
Here the Lord shows him the land
Hebron, a place to settle. Call home.
The only plot of ground Abraham ever
owned, even though all the land was promised to him.
(NOTE:
We had no idea but while we were peacefully discussing this in Church on Sunday
morning 11/19/23; Israel was battling hamas in Hebron and Shechem.)
Abram built a tower to the Lord.
Not a monument or tower to himself.
We close with a message from the Faith
Hall of Fame:
Hebrews 11:8-10
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to
go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out,
not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as
in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with
him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose
builder and maker is God.
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for
telling us the Truth. Abraham made mistakes. We do too. You delivered him from himself.
Thank You for doing the same for us.
Thank You for the
exceedingly great and precious promises in Your Word; and most of all for
sending the Word became Flesh, for us.
We pray You speak
to us, and through us, to draw everyone You’ve given us, to You.
We love You,
forever.
Amen.
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