Abraham – man of faith!
By Rev. Ernest V. George
Genesis 12:1-3 – “1Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you…”
Dearly beloved in Christ,
God made a Covenant with Abraham, when he was called and separated to become the father of the great nation of Israel. Abraham is known as the man of faith [Galatians 3:9] and is listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. His trust in God is proved by the level of surrender that he displayed in his walk with God. Under God’s instruction, Abraham surrendered his native land, family, vale of Jordan, riches of Sodom, himself, Ishmael and Isaac to God. However, every painful ‘surrender’ was followed by increased spiritual wealth! His faith in God was tested many times and each time he drew closer to God.
There are three specific things that Abraham did wherever he went. He built ALTARS, he lived in TENTS and he dug WELLS. From each of these acts there are some spiritual lessons that we can derive and apply to our own lives.
Altars symbolize consecration and worship. It reveals the attitude towards one’s self. It is your place of prayer and commitment to God.
Tents speak of progression. It is one’s attitude towards change. Living in tents, Abraham proved that he was a temperory resident on earth looking for an eternal dwelling with the Lord!
Wells signify satisfaction. It is one’s attitude towards God. The fountain of living water is God and God alone!
ALTAR: There are four significant altars that Abraham built to the Lord that traces his journey of faith.
1. The Altar of Promise! Genesis 12:5-7 – “ 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
The first Altar was built at a place called MOREH, which means instruction. The Altar was important to Abram because it was a place to meet with God, to offer sacrifice for sin, to show submission to God, and to worship God. The first ‘Altar moment’ involves two dynamics directly related to our experiences. It was place where God gave Abraham a Promise… “I will give this land.” Also it was a place where there would be adversaries… “the Canaanites were in the land”. You may be in the midst of adversaries/enemies/impossible situations, but if you are willing to build an Altar in their midst – God will give you the land! Right at the beginning of the Year 2010, what are the promises that God had given you? Seal the Promise of God at the Altar! What you have placed into God’s Hand – God will preserve it! Surrender your dreams at the Altar and claim your promises at the Altar of Promise!
2. Altar of Passion! Genesis 12:8 - "And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.
The second Altar that Abraham built was at BETHEL. Bethel means “House of God”. Abraham’s second Altar is equally demonstrative of a stabilizing step in faith’s progress. It took place at an altar of familiarity, of growth in intimacy and passion for the Lord. Abraham “called on the name of the Lord” Abraham was growing in love with the Lord and it is obvious by the fact that he ‘called on the name of God” Proverbs 18:10 - "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe."
How far have you progressed in your relationship with God? Build an Altar and call up on the Name that is above every other name…the Name of Jesus!
3. Altar of Progress! Genesis 13: 3, 4 - " 3 And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.”
Bethel means ‘House of God’ and Ai means ‘the heap of ruins’. This is the place that Abraham had built an Altar before. But instead of remaining in Canaan, the land that God had promised him, he moved to Egypt. Why? Because there was famine in Canaan! Is it possible for trouble to lurk in the place that God has promised? Yes. God will allow tests even as you obey His will. The Bible says that the ‘afflictions of the righteous are many, but God will deliver him from them all!” (Psalm 34:19).
You must prove worthy of the call, the blessings that God has given you! It is better to starve in Canaan than to live in luxury in Egypt! However, this move to Egypt was disastrous in the long run. Abraham used deception to live in Egypt, claiming Sarah to be his sister and when he did leave, there came with them extra baggage in the form of Hagar the slave girl, who would later bear his son Ishmael. Disobedience is costly! Sin will take you further than you intended! We see here the wonderful grace of God, bringing Abraham back to where he belonged. But a price had to be paid. This is where Abraham builds an altar again – an Altar of no-return, progressing in the will of God. In the path of faith, there will be many ‘Egypts” to take you away from the plan of God. If you have wandered away, you need to return to the Altar of Progress and make a decision that you will not turn away from God again!
4. Altar of Possession! Genesis 13:17-18 – “ 17 Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” 18 Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.
God in His wonderful mercy takes Abraham to the next altar. The fourth Altar was built at Hebron, which means ‘confederacy or communion.” This is the Altar of Possession. God reaffirms His promise to Abraham to give him the length and breadth of the Promised Land. Abraham reclaimed the promise that God had given him at the Altar of Possession!
In your Christian walk, you may be at any one of these “Altars”. You must progress and possess what God has for you. Allow the ‘altar’ to alter your life for God’s glory!
1 Peter 2:11- “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul…”
As we continue our study on Abraham’s journey of faith. The second aspect that we will focus on is TENTS. Wherever Abraham went, he pitched tents. Tents signify progression and deals with the attitude towards CHANGE. Tents are the homes of those that are passing through and do not want to make permanent roots. Abraham recognised the fact that he was just a pilgrim. As Christians we too are pilgrims here on earth, looking forward to a heavenly city that is being prepared for us. A pilgrim is NOT a drifter, but an individual with a specific goal.
Abraham was ready to move when God called him, and wherever God called him. He was not averse to change. Most people resist change; they prefer to stay in their comfort zone. There are three probable reasons as to why we do not like change:
1. Following tradition: Matthew 15:1-3
Ritual/belief/customs of old keep us holding onto to tradition. We just keep doing things because ‘others’ do it without knowing WHY we do it!
2. Fear of losing reputation: John 12:42
We fear losing our reputation so we do not want to change. We avoid telling people we are Christians, or choose to remain silent about our faith for fear of being mocked.
3. False conviction: Acts 24:14
When we have a wrong understanding, we tend to stand for the wrong things. The Apostle Paul when he was Saul was persecuting Christians because of his false convictions. He falsely believed that those who followed Christ were in the wrong and was zealous in destroying believers of Jesus Christ.
Change however is the only constant in life! Tents signify our need to be flexible in the things of God. There are few stark differences between a HOUSE and a TENT. Houses are for a settler, a permanent dwelling place, comfortable, insulated and impressive. On the contrary, tents are for a sojourner, movable, uncomfortable, un-insulated and unimpressive. A house keeps us rooted in a particular place and therefore controls us, but a tent is something that is under our control.
There are three important implications of living in a tent:
1. Pliable in the Master’s Hand!
Jeremiah 18:1-6 – “1The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: 2“Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” 3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. 4And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. 5Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”
From this event, God tells the prophet Jeremiah, that we are to be like clay in His hands. We must be flexible, moldable and willing to become what He wants us to become. We must let go off our past way of life and get back to what God has prepared for us. Let go and let God! The clay that was in the potter’s hand was marred – ruined beyond restoration! Yet, the potter did not throw it away but chose to re-create it into another pot! God will not let go off you! Be teachable and submit to His will so that He can shape you into something beautiful!
2. Place of Anointed Dependability!
Genesis 12:1 - "Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
Second aspect is trust – an anointed dependability! God had to dislodge Abraham from his familiar surrounding before He could use him. God may need to move you before He can use you! You must totally depend on God and allow Him to move you through uncommon terrain. Abraham simply obeyed the ONE that called him and moved from place to place until he reached the land of Canaan – the Promised Land.
3. Possessed by the Holy Spirit into Christ-likeness!
Matthew 9:17 – “Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
The One that works change in our lives is the Holy Spirit. Without Him we can do nothing. In speaking of the new wine in new wineskins, Jesus was emphasizing the need to be flexible. Old wineskins lose its elasticity and will burst if new wine is poured into it. We need a new identity – become a new person – in the likeness of the Son of God! The Holy Spirit is separating the wheat and the chaff. Just as the wheat is separated from the chaff, we are refined in the fire and created into the Image of God’s Son!
Matthew 3:12 - "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Change...into the likeness of Christ!
Genesis 21:30 – “And he [Abraham] said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.”
Wells deal with satisfaction. It deals with our attitude towards God. In the Old Testament times, well-digging involved a lot of hard work – locating the right place where water would be and the manpower to dig the well. To be a well-owner meant the person was of good social and economic standing since not everyone could commission this work. Abraham was rich, prosperous and had the ability to dig wells at strategic points that would benefit his people and the flocks that he owned.
There are 3 important features associated with WELLS as we look through the Word of God:-
1. Refreshing
John 7:37 – “…Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
Water is essential to sustain the human body, and wells are a source of water. When we drink water, we derive refreshment, and ‘wells’ represent that which gives us satisfaction. That is why, the Bible likens WATER to Jesus Christ – the Living Water, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is symbolized by water. In Jeremiah 2:13, God rebukes His people for two sins that they have committed – 1. They have forsaken God, the source of all living water 2. They have hewn for themselves broken cisterns that hold no water! Jesus is the “fountain of living water” and our Primary Source of existence, when we forsake Him, we are looking at cheaper alternatives that will NOT sustain us in the long run. Broken cisterns could be money, position, status, work, good looks…. Just about anything we place our trust in other than God! The source of your happiness and satisfaction will determine the decisions you take which will ultimately establish your destiny. Go back to the well of refreshing…in God’s Presence!
2. Relationship
The second aspect of the well is relationship with God, wherein springs every godly blessing. There are three divine relationships that were established at the well. 1. Eliezer met Rebekah at the well: In Genesis 24 we see that Abraham sends forth his chief servant Eliezer to look for a bride for his son Isaac. As Eliezer waits by the well, he puts a fleece before God that the woman who comes to the well and offers to draw water for his ten camels would be the chosen one for Isaac. Rebekah, Abraham’s niece came to the well, drew water for all the camels to drink which was not an easy task thereby confirming her role as the wife of Isaac. 2. Jacob met Rachel his would-be wife at the well. [Genesis 29] Jacob had cheated his twin brother Esau of his birthright and the blessings of the first-born thus incurring Esau’s wrath. Fearing that Jacob would be killed, his mother Rebekah sent him to her brother Laban. At the well a relationship was established with Rachel. 3. Moses met his wife Zipporah at the well. After murdering an Egyptian, Moses ran away to the desert. At the well in Midian, he helps the daughters of the priest to draw water from the well. They took him to their father who gave Moses his eldest daughter Zipporah in marriage. [Exodus 2] The well is a spiritually the place where you’ve had a divine encounter with God. This is where a divine connection has been established, where you came to know your Master for the first time. And in order to know Him more you need to ‘revisit’ the well. Go back to the well of relationship to know God….explore God’s Word!
3. Revelation
John 4:6,7 – “6Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
The third aspect of the well is that it is a place of revelation. The perfect example is the Samaritan woman who met the Messiah at the well. Jews avoided Samaritans but that fateful afternoon, Jesus sat by the well and asked this Samaritan woman for some water from the well! Jesus’ request genuinely surprised the woman, for this was probably the first time she heard a kind greeting from a Jew. Jesus used this opportunity to reveal Himself to her – the Promised Savior of mankind! When we are refreshed, we develop a relationship that leads to a revelation of God. There are three ways in which you can know God:- 1. Traditionally- you belong to a Christian family, go to Church and go through the motions just as your parents and their parents did, thus continuing the family tradition. 2. Intellectually – you know God by reading about Him, studied about God in Sunday school, catechism class or even reading the Bible. 3. Experientially – you have a personal encounter with God and know Him through your experience. This is the well of your revelation – when God chooses to make Himself known to you in a special way! Go to the well of revelation… with the enabling of God’s Holy Spirit!
The wells that Abraham dug were stopped by the Philistines by filling it up with earth. There is a spiritual lesson here; the devil will try to stop your ‘well-supply’ by bringing distractions and temptations your way. It is up to you to keep the well open and clean by constantly being in God’s Presence [Prayer], reading the Word of God and praying in the Holy Spirit.
Are you at the WELL???
