[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”“God Asks Barren People To Believe & Bear His Promises” Gen 11:10 & 26 – 12:9″ _builder_version=”3.0.69″ background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” border_style=”solid”]
Walk Thru The Word for Today:
Genesis 11: 10 & 26 (ESV)
10These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. … 26When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Walk Thru The Word for Today:
Genesis 11: 27 – 32 (ESV)
27Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.
28Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
29And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. (Note: Iscah may be Sarai.)
30Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
Walk Thru The Word for Today:
Genesis 12: 1 – 6 (ESV)
1Now the LORD saida to Abram, “Go from your countryb and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”c 4So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oakd of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
Walk Thru The Word for Today:
Genesis 12: 7 – 9 (ESV)
7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
Message Map: Genesis 11:10 & 26 – 12:20
God Asks Barren People To Believe & Bear His Promises”
- A Pre-Call Perspective & Profile of Abram’s family …
- Gen 11: 27-30 Terah was traveling to Canaan where God called Abraham to go
- God Founds/Brings forth The First Family of Faith
- Gen 11:30 And Sarai was barren
- Gen 12:11-15 Slander Nearly Severs Sarai From God’s Strategy
- God Appears & The Proper Response Is To Worship
- Are The Altars Of Our Heart Always Available for The Lord To Appear
- All Believers Are Barren
- God calls barren people to believe and bear his call
- God redeems & empowers those who faithfully obey and offer their bareness to God. God uses availability – not super Human ability.
Bonus Feature for Today: The genealogies in Genesis 5 & 11 Give Perspective & Context
The genealogies in Genesis 5 & 11 give us perspective regarding …
- Adam and Enoch were contemporaries. Enoch was Methuselah’s dad, and was raptured while walking with God.
- Adam died 57 years before Enoch was raptured.
- Adam was 874 years old when Lamech was born. Lamech was Noah’s dad. Adam and Lamech for 56 were contemporaries.
- Adam died only about 126 years before Noah was born.
Adam and Enoch were contemporaries. Enoch was Methuselah’s dad, and was raptured while walking with God.The genealogies in Genesis 5 give us perspective on Adam’s Life…
| Gen 5: 1-32 |
Age | Who Was Born | Adam Fathered Seth at age 130, & Lived 930 Years Altogether Adam’s Contemporaries Include… |
||
| 3 At | 130 | Adam Fa’ Seth | Adam was | 130 | of his 930 years when Seth was born |
| 6 At | 105 | Seth fa’ Enosh | Adam was | 235 | of his 930 years when Enosh was born |
| 9 At | 90 | Enosh fa’ Kenan | Adam was | 325 | of his 930 years when Kenan was born |
| 12 At | 70 | Kenan fa’ Mahalalel | Adam was | 395 | of his 930 years when Mahalalel born |
| 15 At | 65 | Mahalalel father’ Jared | Adam was | 460 | of his 930 years when Jared was born |
| 18 At | 162 | Jared fathered Enoch | Adam was | 622 | of his 930 years when Enoch was born |
| 21 At | 65 | Enoch fathered Methusela | Adam was | 687 | of his 930 years when Methuselah was born |
| 25 At | 187 | Meths fathered Lamech | Adam was | 874 | of his 930 years when Lamech was born. (930-874 = 56) |
| 28 At | 182 | Lamech fathered Noah | (874+182 = 1056) 1056 − 930 = 126. Adam died 126 years before Noah was born. Adam lived 56 years after Lamech, Noah’s dad, was born. | ||
| Adam was 622 when Enoch was born. Enoch was 365 when raptured
(622+365 = 987 – 930 = 57) Adam died 57 years before Enoch was raptured. |
|||||
- Adam died 57 years before Enoch was raptured.
- Adam was 874 years old when Lamech was born. Lamech was Noah’s dad. Adam and Lamech for 56 were contemporaries.
- Adam died only about 126 years before Noah was born.
- Noah and Terah, Abraham’s, dad were alive at the same time:
Oral Tradition is first-hand transfer of information
Multiple generations alive at the same time transfer learning & wisdom
Gen 11: 27-32 – Pre-Call Perspective On Abram’s family …
| Gen 11: 10-26 |
Age | Who Was Born | Noah Lived 350 Years After The Flood & 950 Years Total (Gen 9:28). Noah’s Contemporaries Include… |
||
| 10 At | 100 | Shem fathered Arpachshad | Noah has left to live | 248 | of 930 years after Arpach born (This is 2 years post Flood) |
| 12 At | 35 | Arpach’ fathered Shelah | Noah has | 213 | of 930 years after Shelah’ born |
| 14 At | 30 | Shelah fathered Eber | Noah has | 183 | of 930 years after Eber was born |
| 16 At | 34 | Eber fathered Peleg | Noah has | 149 | of 930 years after Peleg born |
| 18 At | 30 | Peleg fathered Reu | Noah has | 119 | of 930 years after Reu was born |
| 20 At | 32 | Reu fathered Serug | Noah has | 87 | of 930 years after Serug born |
| 22 At | 30 | Serug fathered Nahor | Noah has | 57 | of 930 years after Nahor born |
| 24 At | 29 | Nahor fathered Terah | Noah has | 28 | of 930 years after Terah born |
| 26 At | 70 | Terah fathered Abram | Noah died | -42 | Noah died when Terah was 28 |
| Total | 390 | The 390 years really is 388 years because Shem had Arpac’ 2 years post flood. Noah died 350 years post flood, when Terah was 28, which only was 42 years before Abram was born. (28+42=70) |
|||
- 27Terah fathered abram, Nahor, and Haran; who fathered Lot – all in Ur of the Chaldeans. 28Haran, perhaps the oldest son died there.
- Abram and Nahor marry. Abram’s wife is sarai, 30 who is barren.
- 31 Terah took Abram and Sarai, and his grandson Lot (son of the deceased Haran) from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
- nahor, stays in the land of harAN, and later Isaac and Jacob go back there to obtain wives from Nahor’s family. (Gen 22: 20-24 & Gen 24: 24, 47 & Lk 3:34)
- Joshua 24: 1-5 tells us Terah was an IDOL worshipper!
3… [God] took Abraham away from the idol worshippers and led him through all the land of Canaan,
Did Terah name the place “Haran” in honor of his deceased son? It’s possible, but the important part of this story to remember is Nahor stays in Haran, and does not travel to where Abram ultimately must go. Nahor has the children that Isaac and Jacob will marry.
In Gen 11: 31 we note Abraham’s dad, Terah, was moving the family from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan, which is where God tells Abraham to go. We do not know why Terah was moving his family there. Was the family sensing God directing them to move there?
The Bible verses on this slide are important for how later we see Isaac and Jacob go back to Haran to get wives.
The Bible verses on this slide also are interesting because Terah, Abram’s dad was planning to move the family “together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.”
Wesley notes:
Ge 11:26, says when Terah was seventy years old he begat Abram, Nabor and Haran.
The children are mention in order of significance to the Bible narrative – not birth order.
The oldest son, probably Haran, was born when Terah was 70. Abraham may be the youngest – as selecting the youngest is a Bible tradition – as God often moves counter to culture & tradition.
Comparing Ge 11:32, which says Terah died at 205 years, with Acts 7:4, where it is said that Abram left Haran when his father was dead, and Ge 12:4, where it is said that he was 75 years old when he left Haran, it appears Abraham was born in the 130th year of Terah, and probably was his youngest son.
Abram himself says, Sarai was the daughter of his father, but not the daughter of his mother, so Terah perhaps had more than one wife at the same time or Abraham’s mom deceases and Terah married again
In Gen 17:1 & 17 we see Abraham is 99, going on 100, and Sarah is 90, ten years younger than Abram.
In the Luke 3 Genealogy of Jesus, we read in vs 34 “the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,” giving us the understanding that Abram’s dad, Terah, also had a father named Nahor. Terah apparently named his son Nahor after his father. So Nahor could’ve been named Nahor the 2nd after his grandad.
Barnes on Ur of the Chaldeans:
In Ur of the Kasdim. – The Kasdim, Cardi, Kurds, or Chaldees are not to be found in the table of nations.
They have been generally supposed to be Shemites – because Abram was among them and the name Kesed/22Chesed, is listed as his relatives name in Genesis 22:22.
Early in Chaldean history, however, the descendants of Ham prevailed there, with Nimrod, son of Cush/Kush (Gen 10:8) founding the Babylonian Empire. The Chaldees were spread over a great extent of surface; but their most celebrated seat was Chaldaea proper, or the land of Shinar (AKA Babylonia).
God founds The first family of faith who by human standards can’t Fulfill what’s promised
Genesis 11: 30 30Now Sarai was barren; she had no child – and she could not have children, and would not be having any children – humanly speaking.
The fact that Sara was barren meant
- She could not have children
- She humanly – physically was incapable of giving Abraham any of the children that would become the nation God promised
- God’s promise applied to Abraham but not Sarai.
- Abraham needed to find a new wife – like Hagar.
Gen. 17: 15-21 provides the answer
____________________________________
The Process to Properly Following God includes
How do we confirm god’s will?
To confirm God’s will in our lives we should do the following
- Follow the Matthew 18:16 process involves Matthew 18:16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others …, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. .
- 1 Corinthians 14:29 Two or three prophets should speak, but not more than two or three, and let the others be judges of what they say. (Put out a fleece and ask God to direct you to speak to 2-3 people, and then trust you heard from God. Don’t keep seeking endless “opinions,” because you will walk out from under the anointing of God – as Saul did when he ends up seeking the witch at En-dor in 1 Sam 28: 7-20. The result of Saul failing to seek and trust God is in 1 Chron 10: 13-14 13So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14He did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
- Matthew 18:19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. (See notes below)
| Put the following activities in order to complete this sentence. To properly follow God one must … | ||
| a) | depart | |
| b) | wait until you are old enough, but not too old (would God call someone who is too old? or should you ask God to show you when, where, and how to obey His call?) | |
| c) | get instructions from God | |
| d) | Trust God will supply all you need to do what He wants to accomplish through you. (would God call someone who is too old) | |
| e) | confirm what God is saying (The next slide explores the confirmation process laid out in Scripture. 1) check what you hear out with God’s Word. 2) See if others agree where 2 or more agree (See notes below) | |
| f) | wait on God’s timing | |
During the improper trial of Christ, in Mark 14:56 many testified falsely against him [Christ], but their testimony / witnesses did not agree. Christ was denied counsel that could cross-examine the false witnesses. If there is a skilled God-fearing, God-honoring cross examiner who knows the truth, it virtually is impossible for a witness to lie under oath; it virtually is impossible for a false witness to not get exposed. Thus evil people who want to main the truth, such as the renegades and anarchists who now are out on the streets acting like thugs, are mugging people to silence any alternative voices.
Deuteronomy 17:6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses shall he die that is to be slain. Let no man be put to death, when only one beareth witness against him. …
2 Corinthians 13:1… In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone but in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall stand. …
Matthew 18:16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. …
| Bible Reference | God Said | Abraham Did |
| Genesis 12: 1-3
Genesis 12: 4–5 |
1Now the LORD saida to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. God’s plan for Abraham is to … | c 4So Abram went, as the LORD had told him,
and lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5And Abram took sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people (bondservants) that they had acquired in Haran, and they set-out to go to the land of Canaan. |
1 Timothy 5:19… Against an elder receive not an accusation, except at the mouth of two or three witnesses. …
God’s 7 “I wills of the promise to Abraham
Genesis 12: 1-3 1Now the LORD saida to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. God says His plan for Abraham is I will
- 2 make of you a great nation
- bless you and
- make your name great, (Judaism, Christianity & Islam claim Ab’ as the Father of their faiths)
- [I will make it] so you will be a blessing.
- 3 bless those who bless you, and
- I will curse those who dishonor you, and
- In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Nations rise and fall in direct correlation to how they either cooperate or quarrel with God to honor the Hebrews.
Nazi’s shepherded Hebrews into walled ghettos, and internment camps and death chambers.
A few years later there walls around one-half of the entire German nation, and anyone who tried to escape got machine gunned. Within those walls, if anyone spoke out, he/she were interred or summarily killed. Germany suffered 40 years of Communist enslavement, with families being severed, and unable to get to the other side.
Rudolph Hess was the last surviving member of the Nazi leadership who mistreated the Hebrews, and it was only after His death in Spandau Prison did God lift the judgement that had spit Germany in two with half of it being under Communist enslavement.
God Appears And Abram’s Response Is An Altar of Worship
Gen 12: 6-7 6Abram built an altar (Made a suitable place in his heart for worship) at the Moreh, with the Canaanites (enemies nearby) were in the land. 7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
God appears to reassure Abram of His presence to protect him in the land of those who are his enemies.
8Abram built another altar when he was between (destinations and in transition) Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.
9And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb (Lands that will belong to the Tribe of Judah).
In the 3-D Leader I discuss the challenges with change and transition is that it can make us feel awkward, insecure, and unsure of our destination. Through all these feelings and experiences, we need to discern and focused on the mission that matters most, which for Christians is stay focused on and worship God.
In all these circumstances we are to seek to find God. God appeared and presented himself to the consciousness of Abram, in any way suitable for our human natures to discern and recognize Him. Such manifestations can involve sight – such as when Moses saw the Burning Bush, but since Jesus came, we are more likely to see Him than an object in which He manifests Himself – that’s my opinion. Don’t want to put God in my box, as He can do what He wants to do, when He wants to do it. What He won’t do, however, is to violate His own written Word, handed down to us as The Bible. It may involve hearing God as Samuel did in 1 Samuel 3, sensing His presence is accompanied by peace, love and joy.
Acts 9 – The Lord Jesus appears to Paul on the Road to Damascus
Acts 23: 11 … That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. …
1 Tim 3:16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.
We must, nonetheless, worship right in God’s prescribed methods. Abram addresses God by his proper name, Yahweh, with an audible voice, in his assembled household. This, then, is a continuation of the worship of Adam, with additional light according to the progressive development of the moral nature of man.
The Lord presents himself to the consciousness of man in any way suitable to his nature.
Ps. 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
1 Thes 1:2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.
1 Pet 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. …
Philemon 1:4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers.
Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
John 8:29 Jesus says, ‘for I always do what pleases him [God]
2 Corinthians 5:6 So we are always of good courage/confident. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
Though barren, Abraham and Sarah obeyed God because …
Though barren, Abraham and Sarah worshipped & obeyed God because …
- God made it unmistakably clear that he was calling them.
- They have no choice
- They figured God must have a way of fulfilling His plan, despite their inability.
Do you agree with this statement?
Abraham is a great man of obedience because he went as God said. Abraham is a great man of faith because he took his barren wife with him! The fact that he took is barren wife demonstrates that of all people he indeed is the father of faith
Like Sarah, all believers are barren
To Bear God’s Promise means we do which of the following?
- Carry, support and sustain the responsibilities He lays on us. Note in John 15:4 Jesus says you can bear fruit if you remain in me.
- Have, wear or display a visible mark or feature, authority or distinction, or be called or known by a name or title – as “Christian.”
- Possess, exercise and use – as in bearing a flag, sword, a badge, or arms, or power.
- Conduct oneself in a particular manner (your bearing) – (1 Cor 15:49) And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.
- Take responsibility and be answerable for actions, decisions outcomes. ( Pet 2:24) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.)
- show, exhibit or relate – as in bearing testimony or witness
- Able to accept or stand up to circumstances, endure, manage or tolerate a difficulty, an ordeal or problematic people.
- give birth to a child (or an idea, concept, initiative)
- Proceed in a specified direction: bear left or right.
Loving God Most Means Being Obedient Even When We Are Barren
God, please work in us and make us the kind of people who can step into obedience.
God please work steadfast faithfulness in us …
- So we do not lean on our own understanding (Prov 3: 5-6)
- So we get see free from any false narratives we believe.
- So our “self-talk” lines up with the faith-talk in Your Word!
- So we step out of the shadowy shame of our shortcomings into the achievements Your Holy Spirit motivates.
- To be all You want us to be, as we trust Jer 29: 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
[email-download-link namefield=”YES” id=”103″]
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]