with Elder Elico Manenji
1️⃣Genesis 12:1-9: The call of Abraham and his worship of God.
The call of Abraham happened whilst he lived in Ur of the Chaldees with his father Terah, and idolatrous worshipper. He was in advanced life of seventy-five years when the glory of God appeared to him.
First, God promised him to make him a great nation as this was to be compensation for the loss of his home country as the people to which he belonged were fast sinking into polytheism and idolatry.
To escape from it and its defiling influence was itself a benefit as he was to be made the head of a chosen nation, righteous nation made it a double blessing for him.
God promised to bless him even when the place of his birth and kindred was the scene of all his earthly joys yet the Lord made up for the loss a purer and safer scene of temporal prosperity and eternal prosperity.
His name was to be great as he was to be the heir of a new heritage even when his wife was barren.
The Lord promised him that he was to be a blessing and a medium of blessing to others as it is more blessed to give than to receive, the Lord dispensed to him the right to confer to others blessings.
He was to be the means of blessing to those who bless and and means of curse to those who cursed him and that all families of the earth would be blessed through him.
Sin and all appearance of evil, all occasions of it must be forsaken, particularly bad company, we must abandon all the idols of iniquity which have been set up in our hearts and get out of the way of temptation plucking out every propensity that may lead to sin.
Key Texts: "And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice." (Genesis 22:18)
"And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel to Abraham, saying, In you shall all nations be blessed."(Galatians 3:8)
This call God gave to Abram is much the same with the gospel call by which all the spiritual seed of faithful Abram are brought into covenant with God. For the natural affection must give way to divine grace.
Even when our country is dear to us, our kindred dearer, and our father's house dearest of all and yet they must all be forsaken for that we must love them less than Christ.
Our call is to be removed from all appearance of evil for the will and honour of the Lord Jesus.
The Scriptures say of Rehoboam, "And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD." (1 Chronicles 12:14).
2️⃣Genesis 12:10-20: Abraham goes into Egypt and denies Sarai as his wife._
However, the call of Abram was not without a test, there was a famine in the land of promise, famine is one of God’s rods for the punishment of the wicked and the correction of the penitent saints.
The prophet Amos says, "Behold, the days come, said the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD." (Amos 8:11)
Panic stricken, Abram went into Egypt, now he may have been pursuing his own course instead of waiting patiently for the divine counsel.
Even when called by God, Abram himself was not out of the need of that tribulation that works patience, experience, and hope as this trial left him to experience his own weakness.
In the moment of his perplexity he flees for refuge to Egypt, he denies his wife and God intervened to save his marriage and promise of many nations through Sarai.
Why is he not punished instead of Pharaoh, Abram was a man of a blameless life and inoffensive manners. Above all, he was God's chosen and special servant of the Most High God even to Pharaoh.
The priestly ministry was to bless those that bless him but Pharaoh never dared to inquire who the stranger was, how wrong he was.
Filled with envy about the beauty of Sarai he did not hesitate to take her for wife even when Sarai was sixty-five years old, so this was his aggravated crime and sin as God punished him.
God's holy things belong to Him, they are His for his use and glory and never for mankind's use and glory. God does not share His glory with anyone except Himself.
Key Text:
Abram rebuked by Pharaoh returned to the altar that he had built at the first, and called upon the name of the Lord.
The man of God makes but a poor worldling. He is spoiled for it. Of all people in Egypt, none is so unhappy as Abraham without his God. So true it is in all conditions and of all variety of character, that God made us for Himself and our hearts should rest in Him alone.
The prophet Isaiah says, " I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." (Isaiah 42:8)
Appeal
Sometimes God uses our enemies to convince us of sin and remind us that this world is not our resting place and that we must think of departing from it.
The Psalmist says, "He suffered no man to do them wrong: yes, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm." (Psalm 105:14-15).
Amen!!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704)
No comments:
Write comments