Friday, August 02, 2024

The Vision (8.2.24): The Call of Abraham

 


Image: Blueberries, North Garden, Virginia, August 2024.

Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on Genesis 12.

Last Sunday morning, we resumed our series through Genesis, beginning the account of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12-36).

We returned to Abraham in Genesis 12. I suggested three parts to this chapter:

First, Abraham’s call (vv. 1-5): The LORD spoke to Abraham, telling him to leave behind his country, kindred, and his fathers’ house (v. 1). He gave to Abraham promises, especially that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed (v. 3). The mark of Abraham’s spiritual exceptionalism was his obedience: “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him” (v. 4). Martin Luther said Abraham obeyed “the naked voice of God.”

Second, Abraham’s worship (vv. 6-9): As Abraham moved into the hostile and pagan land of Canaan at the LORD’s command, Moses tells us that he worshipped. First, after the LORD appeared to him and told him his seed would be given the land (v. 7). Then again, as he moved forward, we read, “and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD” (v. 8).

Third, Abraham’s deception (vv. 10-20): This account begins, “And there was a famine in the land….” (v. 10). The famine reflected his spiritual life at this point. He then “went down into Egypt to sojourn there” (v. 10). Later in Israel’s history Egypt would be a place of bondage. The godly man who had readily obeyed “the naked voice of God” got bogged down in deception and began to lean upon his own understanding, lying by saying his wife was his sister (v. 13), but the lie was found out and he was sent away (vv. 18-20). This reminds us that though Abraham was a man of God he still had remaining corruptions in him, as all believers will till the glorious end.

So, let us obey God’s call. Let us follow him in obedience and discipleship.

Let us worship the thrice holy God, even as we live in this already-but-not-yet, in-between time.

Let us trust in the LORD with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding (see Proverbs 3:5-6).

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

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