Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve

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Claribel Dalton
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1 Joint Heirs Adult Bible Fellowship Genesis, Week 29, Genesis 11:10-12:4 June 22, 2014 Tim Powell, Teacher Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve Introduction: There is so much speculation on the origin of man; today s museums are full of human ideas. An exception is the "Museum of Creation and Earth History" run by the Institute for Creation Research in Santee, CA that documents the biblical account. The Word of God is a true history of how things began and how events unfolded. As archeologists have made discoveries, the Bible is supported, never contradicted. Scientists are embarrassed by discoveries that prove them wrong, but they refuse to admit it. [Disbelief is a choice, a rebellious choice.] Genesis Timeline (Approximate) Ch. 1-9 Adam to Noah and Flood 1656 years Ch Post Flood to Tower of Babel 100 years Ch Abraham to Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and his 12 sons (including Joseph) 300+ years Scripture Timeline (Approximate) Genesis years BC Exodus to Malachi + the years BC years of silence [between the Old and New Testaments] Jesus to Present years 5 BC 2014 AD 1

2 I. The Elect or Covenant Line: (Ge. 11:10-26) This line leads to Abraham and the Messiah. Noah Shem Arphaxad Salah Eber the word Hebrew comes from his name Peleg Hebrews Joktan Arabs Reu Serug Nahor Terah not a believer Abram born 352 years after the flood Note: Noah died two years before Abram was born. Scripture is very clear, giving us specific ages and years. II. Abram s (Abraham s) Early Life. (Ge. 11:27-32) A. Terah s sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran [Haran was father of Lot] (Ge. 11:27) B. Abram: Wife Sarai (she was barren) (Ge.11:29-30) 1. Sarai s name means "my princess" 2. Her name was changed by God to Sarah which means "princess" [Ge. 17:15]. 3. Bareness at that time was viewed as a punishment from God. C. Terah, Abram, Nahor, Lot, and their wives leave Ur. (Ge. 11:31) 1. Acts 7 (Stephen s address to the Sanhedrin) is a summary of Genesis. 2. God appeared to Abram when he was still in Mesopotamia. 3. Ur is located at confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates River very fertile land. (See map, below.) 4. God said to him, Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you. 2

D. They stopped at Haran 1 to live until Terah died. (Ge. 11:31-32). 1. Terah died as a pagan in pagan city. Joshua 24:2-3 says Terah was a pagan he served other gods. 2. Abram did leave Ur, but his father came with him.

3 D. They stopped at Haran 1 to live until Terah died. (Ge. 11:31-32). 1. Terah died as a pagan in pagan city. Joshua 24:2-3 says Terah was a pagan he served other gods. 2. Abram did leave Ur, but his father came with him. 3. They remained in Haran instead of going to Canaan. Why? We do not know exactly why. a. Haran was the second chief city for worship of the moon god. Perhaps the idol worship seemed familiar and comfortable to Terah, and so they stayed. b. Perhaps God allowed them to wait until his father died. God told him to leave all his relatives behind yet he took his pagan father. c. Perhaps his father was not strong enough to travel farther. 1 [The name of the city of Haran is not the same as the name of Lot s father, Haran; they are spelled slightly differently in Hebrew.] 3

4 III. The Call of Abram out of Haran. (Ge. 12:1-4) A. Abram sought the one true God. 1. Deut. 4: 29 But from there (where you have been driven) you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 2. Ro. 4:3 Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 3. Abram s family did not seek righteousness and tolerated evil, yet Abram sought God. B. Direction from God: Leave the fellowship with the ungodly. (Ge. 12:1) 1. 1 Co. 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry (NKJV). 2. Jas. 4:4... Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (NKJV) 3. Are you a friend of the world in your heart? [What does it mean to be a friend of the world?] C. God promised Abram, I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing (Ge. 12:2 NKJV) D. God also promised, I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you (Ge.12:3a NKJV). America needs to read and heed this warning. The Jewish people are of the line of Jesus Christ. IV. Abram Obeyed God!!!! (Ge. 12:4) A. He departed as the Lord had spoken to him. B. Abram was 75 at this time. We are never too old to obey God. 4

5 Application: Have you made a choice? Jos. 24:15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (NKJV). It has to be a direct, personal decision in the forefront of your mind, [a conscious act of your will]. It is either serve yourself or serve God. This is a daily choice. [Making this choice regularly throughout every day is how we walk with the Lord. Each choice is a step along the Faith-Rest life or a step away from it.] Do you want to be blessed in your life? Jos. 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (NKJV). This is the abundant life that Christ came to give us [Jn. 10:10b]. This is the full and meaningful life. [Anything less is your choice not to trust God.] 5

Genesis 10:1; 11:10, 27, 31, 32; 12:1-4 New Revised Standard Version October 14, 2018

Genesis 10:1; 11:10, 27, 31, 32; 12:1-4 New Revised Standard Version October 14, 2018 The International Bible Lesson (Uniform Sunday School Lessons Series) for Sunday, October 14, 2018, is from Genesis