University of the Word 

Location: Urbana Assembly of God

Main Sanctuary

Lesson 11: The Call of Abraham Part 1;  Genesis 12

1.  Begins with story of Redemption.  What is redemption? Hint: (Gen 3:15).

Redemption is defined by Paul (I Cor. 6:20; I Cor. 7:23) as being bought with a price. It is of God by the blood of Christ, who was sent on earth to effect it for us (Isa. 44:21; Matt. 20:28; Heb. 9:12; I Pet. 1:19; Gal. 4:4, 5).

 2. The context for the call of Abraham is not Gen. 12 but Gen. 6:5.

3. Then comes the account of the flood through which God in his mercy saved Noah and his family. After the flood subsided, we read in Genesis 8:20 that:  “Noah built an altar to the Lord... The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, ...never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done."

 If God was not to destroy all living creatures who had done evil, then how was God to fulfill what He had said to the serpent in the garden of Eden that the offspring of Eve would …crush Satan's head, and the offspring of Eve will strike his heel…(Genesis 3:15)

God in His holiness cannot tolerate evil and yet God would not destroy the living creatures who have rebelled against Him. Yet God would ultimately destroy evil. How can God destroy evil without destroying the creatures who were evil? Moreover, God renewed the covenant with Noah which He had made with Adam, …be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it. (Genesis 9:7)

In Genesis 11 we read that the whole world had one language and a common speech. Men said to each other to "build ourselves a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves…" In that chapter, God did scatter them through language confusion but would that be enough to prevent men from coming together again against their Creator?

It is in this context that God’s answer is found in Genesis 12, namely, God would call men to respond in faith. The call was made to Abraham from whom, as the text from Hebrews 11:12 says, would come "descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore."

Through the call to Abraham, repeated many times down the ages, God is defeating evil so that when Jesus comes again, He will be truly king of kings and lord of lords. Is God calling you in the same way that He called Abraham? If so, you are joining in God’s victory.

Review

Who is Abraham?

A righteous man/A believer in God.

Not an Idolater.