Going...Not Knowing - Abraham, The Friend of God, Charles Swindoll Bible Study Guide

The walk of faith consists of going...not knowing.

How secure are the tent pegs in my life? How deep are they in the ground? How easy is it for me to move? Even as i think of building a pergola and working in the yard and doing something I am not comfortable doing, my problem is often that I am so firmly rooted in other things - in other ways of living, in my habits and my normal motions of life. I default into saying I'm a number guy not a construction worker, but life gets more of a routine.

Acts 7:2-7

2 And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. 5 But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. 6 But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. 7 ‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.’

Abraham left where he was, with no promise of anything good, for himself, for his descendants - for 400 years. He was comfortable where he was - in Ur - his birthplace and Sarai’s. But God said to leave. And he left. God said something to him - and he listened. And he did it. 

Listening to God when he speaks to me is something I need to do. The Holy Spirit, I know, is speaking to me at many times. I need to listen when he speaks. My problem is I start thinking.  

As i go back and look at the text from Genesis, that the words of Acts were based upon, what stands out to me is that God’s leading or God’s words to Abram were not always immediate. In Chapter 12, he leaves Ur with the promise: I will bless you and I will give you much. Providence came to Abraham but so did unrest, so did problems. He went, but there was still a lot of 'not knowing.' There were promises, but not always the connecting of dots. But Abraham kept going forward and God kept speaking to him. But to go so far and then to be told that Abraham’s descendants would be enslaved and oppressed for 400 years.  

I Peter 2:11 -  Beloved, I urge you as aliens (pilgrims KJV) and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Use a concordance to come up with more references of these two words thinking about the verses and their meanings. 

Exodus 18:3 - Moses said, “I have been an alien (sojourner NAS) in a strange land.”

Deuteronomy 14:21 - Alien is someone that is not part of the chosen people. 

Job 19:15 - Job sees himself as an alien in contrast to those in his household. 

Ps 69:8 - The Psalmist feels like an outcast

Heb 11:13 - Those who died in faith, when the lived on the earth, they were seen as aliens and strangers

Abraham would have identified with these words. The follower of God is seen as a stranger or alien from the rest that are in society. A person that listens to God is different. In a way, we as Christians are aliens to those around us.  

Do I seek God’s will or my own? - I live in comfort. I am in a season now of serving my dad and my wife while I continue to serve God in ministry. Overall, these lines are blurry and it is hard for me to see a difference. But, i think overall i am serving God as his child. I'm active with GMO, reaching out to Scott D and responsive to friends. Sure, I'd love to get back to the mall with Bobby. And perhaps take on another guy that Doug might have at Next Steps.

Am I as willing to stay as I am to leave? - I don’t feel right of leaving, but I know Pamela would like to one day. I feel obligated now to stay, to support my dad. I don’t feel how leaving is an option, albeit a very selfish one. But overall, this is hard. I enjoy the conversations with the folks in Africa. Right now, that is the only slight pull I have. Yet, I like my status of communicating with them. With everyone I talk to, sure there is the thought that maybe I could accomplish more face to face, but God is in control as well.

Is my decision to stay or leave become more or less complicated? - It remains the same.  Well, I feel more lodged here at home because of my dad, to be honest. Will that change? I am not sure.

Matthew 21:18 - The Human Nature of Christ

Matthew 21:18 - Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry.

Message: The Human Nature of Christ

Time: The date of Matthew's composition is anywhere from 55-60 AD probably in Antioch of Syria, written by Matthew, the former tax collector, and one of the 12 disciples or apostles. The writing is most likely to the Jews. His purpose was to show them that Jesus of Nazareth was the expected messiah and both his genealogy and his resurrection were legitimate proofs of this. 

What the Lord is Saying:

Overview

I am currently studying Jesus, Christ alone. Jesus, the human, is the anointed one, the Christ or the Messiah, predicted in the Old Testament as the one who would come and save the world from sin. Jesus is one person who possesses two natures, a divine nature and a human nature, as truly God and truly man. Jesus did not become divine nor did God become a man, Christ was instead the God man. 

Today's Lesson

Many passages teach the humanity of Jesus:

• Jesus is hungry - Matthew 21:18 - Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry.
• Jesus slept - Mark 4:38 - Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
• Psalm 121:4 - Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
• Jesus is ignorant or lacks knowledge of an event - Matthew 24:36 - But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
• God is all-knowing or omniscient - Psalm 139:4 - Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all.
• Jesus is tempted - Matthew 4:1 - Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 
• James 1:13 - Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 

Thus, in this lesson today are examples of Jesus' humanity in light of the fact that God not having need of anything or being all-knowing. 

Promise: Hebrews 2:17-18 - For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for showing me clearly that Jesus is human and he can come alongside me, for he has experienced what I have experienced. Help me to remember this Spirit. Keep reminding me as you do. I feel so alone at times, but help me to be reminded of how you are like me in this way. I am not alone. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of April is about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April was about salvation by grace alone; March about the sovereign providence of God; February was about the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January was about the doctrine of God.

The Man Who Pioneered Faith - Abraham, The Friend of God, Charles Swindoll Bible Study Guide

The Man Who Pioneered Faith

This Abraham study is about him being a friend of God. And it begins talking of Abram as being a pioneer of faith. His life was one of faith and simplicity. Colossians 2:6 -- Therefore as you have received (by faith) Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him (by faith). “Walk by faith, not by sight” the song goes. What does this look like? I trust Jesus Christ by faith. Faith is to trust or believe in God. This is simple and should be simple in our lives. Our lives begin in Christ with simplicity. 

I saw this text: Psalm 37:1-5: 

Do not fret because of evildoers,

Be not envious toward wrongdoers.

For they will wither quickly like the grass

And fade like the green herb.

Trust in the Lord and do good;

Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

Let my life be about faith and living by faith and cultivating a life of faithfulness. 

Prayer: Oh Lord, I got started today on a journey with you and Abraham and his life to better understand you and better understand my life with You. I pray that my life is lived by faith. Help this to transcend me and in turn, help me to encourage others - here at home, online, everywhere. But I want to live by faith. And I want to know what this means each day to live a life by faith. 

The point is made that ‘faith expands understanding.’ God gave Abram promises - 

Now the Lord said to Abram,

“Go forth from your country,

And from your relatives

And from your father’s house,

To the land which I will show you; 

And I will make you a great nation,

And I will bless you,

And make your name great;

And so you shall be a blessing;

And I will bless those who bless you,

And the one who curses you I will curse.

And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” [Genesis 12:1-3]

Abram followed God before the promises seemed attainable. He followed. He loved the promise of land, but he loved more the promise of an heir. He didn’t know how it would occur as Sarai was barren. He thought it might be his servant that would be the heir, but God corrected him and said it would be “one who shall come forth from your own body.”

Prayer: Lord, I do want to follow You first. Not follow then wait for rewards. Let’s face it, you have already given me so much. 

Children follow - with a simplicity. Jesus made mention of this - “unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Abraham (“father of a multitude”) and Sarah (“princess”) seem to have this type of faith - throughout their lives. They would have a son, Isaac (“he laughs”) after God promises to them. 

Q: In whom or in what are you placing your trust? 

• It is supposed to be ‘in God’ but it feels more likely that my trust wallows back and forth between wanting to be in God and more likely in His blessings. I wonder if that is the same thing. At times, it is, but am I only happy and content if I have what I need and want? If I am in want - am i still trusting? 

Q: And what kind of eternal dividend will that investment yield? 

• The eternal dividend of trust in God yields peace with God and life with Him. Heaven should not be a surprise but should echo the life I am living now toward God. 

The faith that Abraham displayed in offering his son as a burnt offering, only to be stopped by the angel of the Lord prior, is a faith that very few have duplicated. One is the appearance of an audible intercession by the Lord that I do not encounter today. The other is sometimes not feeling like I experience these kind of tests. But also Abraham, while following God, anticipated God to intercede - so he seemed to anticipate God interceding. 

Encoutering death is something Abraham did when Sarah died and then he prepared for his own death. 

Q: How would I respond if I was told I had very little time to live? 

• I would want my family to be prepared for my passing. To be ready to go on without me. 

Q: If this was my last day, how would I live it? 

• Saying goodbye to those I have loved and have loved me. 

The Life of Abraham - Genesis 11-25

11 - Terah is his Abram’s father; Abram takes Sarai as wife and they settle in Haran with Terah and Sarai

12:1-3 - Abrahamic Covenant - “a great nation, I will bless you, and all the families shall be blessed.” Abram departs from Haran (w/ Lot - his nephew) at age 75 - possibly in Southern Turkey and now Harran and arrives in Shechem - 14 hours drive south of Harran today; Lord “I will give you this land” and Abram built an altar, then he went to Mountain east of Bethel, then to Negev; then to Egypt.

12:11-20 Encounters Pharaoh and misleads him, saying Sarai (beautiful) is his sister, leading to the Lord striking plagues onto Pharaoh, and his men escorted them away; Pharaoh, tho he does not follow God knows the plagues are from God. 

13:1-14 - They leave Egypt (w/ Lot) to the Negev, b/w Bethel and AI - Lot and Abram each had lots of flocks, herds, tents and so they decide it is best to separate for the land cannot sustain them both - Lot goes east to Sodom (valley of Jordan); Abraham settled in Canaan

13:15-18 - Lord says, “Look, all that you see is for you and your descendants” and he went to Hebron and built an altar

14:1-12 - Lot is removed,  he and his possessions, from Sodom; Abram rescues Lot

14:17-24 king of Salem, Melchizedek, blesses Abram; Abram takes nothing in return

15:1-5 - Abram receives a message from God through a vision; Eliezer, his servant will not be his heir, but one born of him. Your descendants will be counted like the stars. 

15:6-11 - Abram believe in the Lord and He reckoned to him as righteousness

15:12-15 - Your descendants will be strangers, enslaved and oppressed 400 years, but God will judge the nation they serve and they will come out with many possessions; Abram will live a long life.

15:18 - Lord made a covenant with Abram - “i have given this land to your descandants”

16:2 - Sarai tells Abram to go into Hagar (maid) to obtain children, 10 years after living in Canaan

16:5 - strife exists now b/w Sarai and Hagar

16:9-12 - Angel says to Hagar, “Return to Sarai and submit to her and I will greatly multiple your descendants. Your child will be called Ishmael. He will live to the east.”

16:16 - Abram is 86

17:1 - Abram is 99

17:2-8 - The Lord gives covenants to Abram - “I will multiply you exceedingly” and “You shall be the father of a multitude of nations.” Your name is now Abraham which means father of a multitude. “I will make you exceedingly fruitful” and “I will make nations of you” and “kings shall come forth from you” and “everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants” and “I will give you and your descendants the land of Canaan” 

17:9-14 - The Lord says, “You shall keep My covenant”; “You shall be circumcised as a sign of the covenant” and this includes servants

17:15-27 - Sarai is now Sarah (princess) and I will give you a son by her and bless her and Abraham laughed as he wondered how this would happen to Sarah who is 90. Lord said, “his name will be Isaac and I will also establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” Ishmael will be blessed and made fruitful and become the father of 12 princes. BUT, my covenant will be with Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised himself, and all in his household.  

18:1-15 - Three appear before Abraham, thought to be 2 men and the Lord and Abraham prepares food for them. They are looking for Sarah to tell her that a son will be born to her at this time next year. Sarah laughs at this and then denies it for “Is anything too difficult for the Lord” is what is said

18:16-33 - Abraham intercedes for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and with God he sort of bargains for the fate of those in the city stating that if there are 50, then 40, then 30, then 20, even 10 righteous ones in all the city, then all the city will be spared. Before this God said that he is going their to decide the fate of those in the City. 

19:1-29 - 2 angels come to Sodom, and Lot welcomes them into his home, but the men of the City want those men in order to have relations with them. Lot pleads with them to not act in this evil manner, even offering his virgin daughters, but they insist. The angels intercede and strike these wicked men with blindness and then ask Lot to gather him and his family to spare them for the Lord has sent these men to destroy this city because of its wickedness. The angels say to Lot and his family to escape to the mountain, but Lot bargains with them and asks instead to go to the town of Zoar. Fire and brimstone then fell on Sodom and Gomorrah. After being told to not look back, Lot’s wife does indeed look back, and became a pillar of salt. It is said that God remembered Abraham in allowing Lot and his family to live.

19:30-38 - Lot’s daughters think that there are no men left to have children so they get their father drunk and lie with him in order to preserve the family. The first born gives birth to Moab (father of Moabites) and the younger to Ben-ammi (father of the sons of Ammon).

20 - Abraham goes to land of Negev, then to Gerar where he comes up king Abimelech and once again says Sarah is his sister. The Lord spoke to Abimelech and he called Abraham wondering why he would say this to him. Abraham thought there was no fear of God in this place and would kill him. Following this Abimelech gave Abraham sheep, oxen, male and female servants. Previously, having been made barren Abimelech’s wife because of this incident, Abraham intereceds for Abimelech and his wife and maids now bore children. 

21 - 3 things happen in this chapter. First, the birth of Isaac is mentioned and Sarah laughs because she and Abraham have bore children at an old age. Second, she sees Hagar, the mother of the child that was bore with Abraham and she wants Hagar to leave, stating that the offspring blessing is now reserved for Isaac. But the Lord says that while Hagar needs to leave, her offspring will still be blessed. So she leaves. Third, a treat is made between Abimelech and Abraham. Abimelech is the leader of the army and a covenant between him and Abraham is established. There is an episode of his servants seizing water from a well, but Abraham provides an offering for this it would seem to provide a sign that all is well between he and Abimelech. 

22 - This is the story of the offering of Isaac whereby God calls thim to make this offering. He must journey several days to the place of the offering, taking his son, a donkey and servants, and wood. The son wonders what the sacrifice will be and Isaac assures him that an offering will be provided. He leaves the servants once he arrives at the place and just as he is ready to slaughter his own son, God intercedes and perhaps Abraham hears the lesson that was needed hear - that Abraham is willing to forsake all for following the Lord. Immediately, a ram instead is provided for the sacrifice and Abraham builds an altar saying, “God will provide” and remains living in Beersheba. At the end fo the chapter, the offsprings of Abraham’s brothers is mentioned. 

23 - This chapter is about the burial place for Sarah, who has died at the age of 127. Abraham mourns for her, but spends time picking a burial place that is then promised to Abraham as a burial place. It is a cave.

24 - Abraham tells his servant where they are to go to find a wife for Isaac. After a long journey, and wanting to make a right decision, Abraham’s servant says that upon a woman coming who says to him, “Let down your jar that I may drink” will be the one. Immediately, Rachel appears and provides her jug for the servant to drink from. Rebekah had a brother Laban who provides a place to rest for Abraham’s servant. Rachel is a daughter of one of Abraham’s brothers - Nahor. Nahor hesitates in letting Rebekah go back with the servant, asking for her to stay 10 days, but then asks Rebekah and she says it is fine, so Rebekah then leaves and arrives at home and upon seeing Isaac in the field they are immediately wed. 

25 - After Sarah’s passing, Abraham takes another wife, Keturah and has more children. Abraham lived to the age of 175. Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave that I believe Sarah was also. 

Can I identify some of the struggles that Abraham faced? What is going on in my life right now and what struggles am I facing? 

Abraham: The life and times of Abraham is from age 75 to 175. Much of that is written about Abraham isn’t necessarily what he experiences but what others experience around him (Lot, Sarah, his servant) and besides this God bestows on Abram great gifts and providence. I suppose Abraham is challenged to listen to God and do what he says in offering his son Isaac. He also can’t believe that he can enter a town without lying. So he struggles with lying at times. He also sees his friends struggling and intercedes for them (christians living in Sodom and Gomorrah). He also has a wife that tells him to do a sin and he goes along with it.  

Me: So far my Christian life has been from 14 to 52. In that time one of the big things I’ve struggled with is anger. And I’ve also noticed I struggle with feeling a need to please others. And also feeling like I am never doing enough. In my walk with God, I often struggle wondering what more I can do. I feel that like God has provided me with alot and I’m not sure I’m taking care of others the way I need to do; so like Abraham what am I doing with the gifts He provides. The Lord will provide and does provide. I know I do good things and people tell me so, but still I wonder.