Primary Bible Passages: Genesis 11:10-12:3

Key Verse: Genesis 12:1

Memory Verse: Hebrews 11:8

Preparatory Daily Bible Readings:

Monday: Genesis 11:10-12:4
Tuesday: Genesis 15:7; Nehemiah 9:7; Joshua 24:2; Genesis 20:12; Luke 3:34-36
Wednesday: Genesis 13:14-15; Hebrews 11:8; Acts 7:2-4
Thursday: Psalm 11:3; Jude 3
Friday: Ephesians 4:13-14; Galatians 1:6; Galatians 5:7; Colossians 2:4; 18; II Timothy 4:3-4; Matthew 7:24-27
Saturday: Isaiah 44:8; Romans 3:1-2; Isaiah 53
Sunday: I Peter 1:3-5; Romans 15:8-12; John 3:16; Revelation 22:17

I. A MAJOR CHANGE IN BIBLICAL APPROACH. (Genesis 11:10)

A. Beginning with Genesis 11:10, the Bible makes a very distinct change in approach.

1. From the first words (Genesis 1:1) up to this point, the scriptures have given attention to the whole human race.

2. From Genesis 11:10 forward, "attention is directed to one family and one man as the chosen channel of the divine purpose of redemption for the race."

B. From Genesis 11:10 forward, the Bible builds upon the foundational claims set forth in the first 11 chapters.

1. The first 11 chapters of Genesis constitute the factual foundation upon which all other scriptures rest. The remaining chapters of Genesis depend upon the integrity of these initial chapters and the remaining 65 books of scripture all rise or fall upon the validity of the first book, Genesis.

2.It is extremely important that those who would know the truth secure an unshakable confidence in and understanding of the foundational truths of God's Word. (Psalm 11:3; Jude 3) Those whose theology lacks foundation will ultimately fall. (Ephesians 4:13-14; Galatians 1:6; Galatians 5:7, Colossians 2:4;18; II Timothy 4:3-4; Matthew 7:24-27)

II. THE INTRODUCTION OF ABRAHAM AND HIS BACKGROUND. (Genesis 11:10-32)

A. Abraham, who at first was named Abram, was born to one of Shem's descendants named Terah. (Genesis 11:26)

1. Abram was one of three sons born to Terah. The listing of Abram first among the sons is not to be misunderstood that he was the first of the sons to be born. He was first in terms of importance; not age.

Terah was 70 years old when he began to bear sons. (Genesis 11:26) He was 205 years old when he died in Haran. (Genesis 11:32) Yet, Abram was 75 years old when he departed Haran (Genesis 12:4), which was at the death of his father. (Acts 7:4) If Abram had been Terah's firstborn son, he would have been born when Terah was 70 and have left Haran 75 years later when Terah was only 145 years old, which was 60 years prior to his death. It appears that Abram was born when Terah was 130 years old.

2. Assuming no gaps in the genealogical record, Abram was in the tenth generation after the Flood. The Chronological Bible places his birth at 1967 B.C. This being true, Noah died only 2 years prior to the birth of Abram, and Shem lived until Abram was 148 years old.

3. The purpose of the historical account in Genesis 11:10-26 is not to give all the names in the various families but only the direct line from Shem to Terah, the father of Abraham. With this genealogical table, the ancestry of the promised seed, the Messiah, is connected from Shem to Abraham. (Luke 3:34-36)

B. Abram was born in Ur of the Chaldees. (Genesis 11:31, Genesis 15:7, Nehemiah 9:7)

1. Though Ur's literal existence was questioned for many years, modern archaeological excavations have verified its location on the western bank of the Euphrates River in the lower Mesopotamia Valley near the Persian Gulf. C. Leonard Woolley excavated there from 1922 to 1934 and confirmed that Ur was a great city with many large homes. Education flourished with young scholars learning to write cuneiform signs and work the multiplication tables as well as square roots and cube roots. Ur had an extensive library. It was a very sophisticated city.

2. Ur was located near Babel and its inhabitants were saturated with the idolatry prevalent in that region. Ur was the seat of the worship of the moon god. From year one, lesson 25 of this curriculum, it can be seen that the paganistic worship of nature and the spirits of nature had permeated the society of Babel and that migrating tribes took their idolatrous systems of worship with them.

A much greater appreciation for Abram (Abraham) emerges once one comprehends the completely idolatrous society in which he was reared. Even Terah, Abram's father, practiced idolatry. (Joshua 24:2) There can be no doubt that from a child, Abram was subjected to the spirits of the zodiac and the polytheistic worship of the supposed gods of the various elements of nature, especially the moon. It is extremely difficult for one to resist that which is warmly embraced and accepted by his society and particularly his family. From every human reasoning standpoint, Abram should have been a pagan.

C. Abram was a member of a very tight-knit family.

1. The overall context of Genesis confirms the fact that in those ancient days, families were tightly subjugated to the authority of the ruling father. It was common for families to stay together until the ruling father died, at which time leadership generally passed to the oldest son. Sometimes a son would separate from the father to establish his own family unit.

2. Abram stayed with Terah his father until Terah's death as did Abram's brother, Nahor. Haran, the other brother, appears to have migrated to the city bearing his name, then returned to Ur of the Chaldees, where he died. (Genesis 11:28)

3. Haran had a son named Lot, who attached himself to Abram after the death of his father, Haran. (Genesis 11:27; Genesis 12:4)

4. Haran, apparently the oldest of Terah's sons, also had a daughter named Milcah. Though she was his niece, Nahor married her. (Genesis 11:29)

5. Abram married Sarai, whose name was later changed to Sarah. (Genesis 11:29) She was Abram's sister, being Terah's daughter by one of his wives other than Abram's mother. (Genesis 20:12)

III. THE CALL OF ABRAM TO SEPARATION. (Genesis 12:1-3)

A. While Abram was still in Ur of the Chaldees, God called him to separate himself from his country and family and go into an unknown country. (Acts 7:2-4)

1. Abram's first response was not one of complete obedience. One of the great characteristics of the Bible is its complete integrity. It does not distort the lives of its people, even its greatest heros. All except Jesus Christ were mortals infected with sin. Not one was without weaknesses.

2. In Abram's case, he neither left all his family nor went immediately into the land which God commanded. It appears that Abram shared his divine call with his father, Terah. For whatever reason, Genesis 11:31 records the fact that Terah took Abram and Sarai along with Lot and moved as far as the city of Haran. Haran is about 600 miles northwest of Ur. They intended to go to Canaan, but stopped short until after the death of Terah. (Genesis 11:31-32)

B. The statement of Genesis 12:1 appears to be a renewal of God's call to Abram.

1. God commanded Abram to leave his father's house and his kindred and to go into a land previously unknown to Abram.

This was a clear-cut call to Abram to separate himself to the Lord. His separation to God is one of the chief keys to Abram's great success. Hebrews 11:8 explains Abram's move. "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." By faith, Abram was willing to separate himself to God even though he did not know what God was about to do. For one reared in the idolatry of Mesopotamia, this was indeed a courageous move.

2. In this call to Abram, God made him three basic promises.

a. God promised him a "land." (Genesis 12:1) This promise was to be further explained to Abram. () It will be considered in greater detail in a later lesson.
b. God promised to greatly multiply Abram's offspring. (Genesis 12:2) That God has done; not only in the Jewish nation, but also through many Arabic peoples.
c. God promised to bless all the families of the earth through Abram. (Genesis 12:3) This is a promise of the coming Messiah and that He would be a direct descendent of Abram. Only in the work of eternal redemption is it possible for all of earth's families to be blessed. Only because of Christ who came from the lineage of Abram, "whosoever" will may come. (John 3:16, Revelation 22:17)

C. With the call of Abram, the world was getting another new start.

1. Man completely failed in his first opportunity. He came right up to the Flood in utter sinful corruption. After the Flood, man failed again in his second great opportunity and soon faced God's judgment again in the confusion of man's language. With the call of Abram, God initiated a new offer to mankind to know the truth, a new opportunity for man to turn from evil to righteousness.

2. Before Abram, God in His efforts to turn man from sin to righteousness had dealt with all nations as a whole. With Abram, God undertook a completely new approach toward mankind. He began to prepare a new nation, one which would be responsible for carrying God's revelation to other nations. This new nation would also be the one through whom the Redeemer would come. Abram would found the Jewish nation and that nation would have a fourfold purpose.

a. It would be a witness to Him to the rest of mankind. (Isaiah 44:8)
b. It would be a depository of God's revelation. (Romans 3:1-2)
c. It would be the people of the coming Messiah. (Isaiah 53)
d. It would be a channel of God's blessings to the rest of the world. (Romans 15:8-12)

3. The call of Abram from a world of heathenism into the divine revelation of the one true God was the beginning of a great new era in the history of mankind. With the Jews God provided a people through which He would reveal Himself in word and person. Through them, in the person of Jesus Christ, would come the spiritual hope of the world. (I Peter 1:3-5)

FOOTNOTES

1. Thomas, W.H. Griffith, Genesis, A Devotional Commentary, Grand Rapids: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1953, page 113.

2. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, London: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1706, Vol.I, Genesis 11.

3. Reese, Edward, The Chronological Bible, Nashville: E.E. Gaddy & Associates, 1977, page 19.

4. Morris, Henry, The Genesis Record, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1976, page 280.

5. Davis, J.D., Illustrated Davis Bible Dictionary of the Bible, Nashville, Tennessee: Royal Publishers, Inc., 1973, page 839.

6. Rice, John R., In the Beginning, Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1975, pages 254-255.

7. Davis, page 839.

8. Morris, page 288.

9. Ibid., page 294.

SUMMARY

The call of Abraham marks a distinct and major change in God's dealings with man. Abraham was originally named Abram; God later changed his name. Before Abram's call, God dealt openly with all the peoples of the earth as a whole. With Abram, God singled out one man from whom He would raise up the Jewish people. From that time forward, God would direct His efforts to the world through this people. Not to all people, but to the Jews, His chosen people, He would reveal His Word. Other peoples would receive it, not directly from God, but from the Jews. All men are sinners and in need of a Redeemer. God would send that Redeemer and He would do it through the Jews. The revealing of His Word and the sending of His Redeemer would take many, many years to finalize. With the call of Abram (Abraham), God was initiating the groundwork for the expediting of His future plans.

Those who study God's Word should be aware of the gravity of the first 11 chapters of Genesis. These chapters constitute the factual foundational base upon which the entire remaining scriptures rest. As the stem is to the plant, Genesis 1-11 is to the rest of the book, and Genesis is the foundation upon which the remaining 65 books of scripture rest. The first 11 chapters lay the groundwork; the 39 remaining chapters build thereon. The other books of the Bible assume the unquestionable validity of Genesis. It is extremely important that those who would know truth get a firm hold on Genesis, particularly the first 11 chapters.

Because the initial claims of the Bible are so critical to its overall trustworthiness, this is the section of the Bible which has been the most commonly, systematically and vehemently attacked. Much of the energy of the modern scientific and intellectual world is spent on attacking Creation and the Flood. Satan knows that to undermine these critical claims of scripture in one's mind is to bring down the whole Biblical case. This is why the educational system of the world, which has largely fallen under Satan's control, begins a massive brainwashing effort of students at a very early age and continues it with increasing intensity throughout the educational process. This strong brainwashing effort is to convince the student that all things evolved. If that is true, the claims of Genesis 1-11 are false, and if these first claims of the Bible are not trustworthy, then none of the Bible is trustworthy. It is imperative that Christians recognize these truths which are most foundational to the Faith and see that these truths are firmly laid and defended in the minds of men and women, particularly in the minds of young people.

Abram (Abraham) was the son of Terah who was one of the descendants of Seth. Two other sons of Terah are mentioned. Abram was apparently the youngest of the three having been born when Terah was 130 years old. Because he was the most important of Terah's sons, Abram is listed first among the sons. Though life-spans were decreasing substantially by Abram's time, some of the men dating back to the Flood and the first generation or two following were still living to be quite old. Thus, Abram was in the unique position of being very close to some of these ancient men. For example, Abram was born only two years after the death of Noah, and Noah's son, Shem, who was on the Ark and who was Abram's forefather, died only 27 years before Abram died.

Abram was born in Ur of the Chaldees. Ur was a prosperous and advanced city. Modern archaeologists have uncovered its ruins along the lower Euphrates River and discovered that a very sophisticated society thrived there in Abram's day. Ur was a port city and very active in commerce. It had a very advanced educational system and its students were quite proficient in mathematics, reading and writing.

Ur was also a very wicked city, given wholly to idolatry. The city was near Babel and Babylon and was fully under the influences of the pagan religions of the region. The people of that area had ascribed spirits to each aspect of nature. For example, there was a sun god, a rain god, a river god, etc. Ur was the seat of worship for the moon god. The people where Abram grew up were polytheistic (worshippers of many gods) and pantheistic (nature worshippers). Abram's whole family, even his father, was caught up in this paganism. Abram's embracing of the one true God was a repudiation of his upbringing, his heritage, his family and his whole culture. His answer of God's divine call to separate himself from all he had been and to the service of the true God, of whom he knew nothing was a far greater step than many have realized.

In the ancient days of Abram, family units were under the authority of a patriarch, who was the oldest man and usually the father of the family. This man controlled the family and made the important decisions. Upon the father's death, the oldest son assumed command. In Abram's case, he stayed with his father, Terah, until Terah died in Haran. One of Abram's brothers, Haran, died, leaving a son named Lot, whom Abram took under his control. Abram's other brother, Nahor, married Haran's daughter, Milcah; and Abram married his half-sister, Sarai.

God first called to Abram while he was in Ur. The call was for Abram to separate himself to God and from his country and kindred. Full details as to how Abram dealt with the divine call are not given, although he did involve his family in his response. He, along with his father and Lot and all of their immediate family members, started out for Canaan, a land unknown to them. As they followed the trade route, which skirted the desert, they came to Haran, which is about 600 miles from Ur but another 400 miles short of Canaan. The travelling party stopped at Haran.

At that point, Abram was not in full compliance with God's command. He was short of where God wanted him to be, and he had not fully separated himself from his family. He continued at Haran, in this condition, until the death of his father, Terah. At that time, God renewed His call to Abram.

In a great act of faith, Abram obeyed God's command. He left Haran and went to Canaan. Only by taking Lot was he out of full compliance with God's command.

When God called Abram, He made him three great promises. He first promised Abram a great piece of land. It was not until later that God explained the particulars regarding that land. God's second promise to Abram was that He would greatly multiply his offspring. From Abram would come the Jewish nation, but also several Arabic peoples. God's third promise to Abram was the blessing of all peoples of the earth through him. It is doubtful that Abram realized the full significance of this promise at that time. This was God's promise of the coming Messiah from the descendants of Abram. Indeed, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, came directly from Abraham; and by Him, and only by Him, all the peoples of the earth are blessed. In view of His great personal sacrifice on the Cross, salvation from sin's death penalty is available to all men of all ages.

Man utterly failed prior to the Flood and met the judgment of God in the watery destruction by the Flood. After the Flood, man again failed and faced the judgment of God in the confounding of the language. By the time of Abram, man had again turned to almost universal rejection of God. With Abram's call came a new start. God had singled out a man from whom He would raise up a new nation, a nation to whom He would reveal His Word and through which He would come into the world, in person, to die on the Cross in the place of sinners. This nation would be His witness to the rest of the world. By faith in the Savior who would come through this nation, every man could receive salvation and hope beyond the grave. Thank God for His love for mankind and for His unending efforts to reach man with His truth and righteousness.

QUESTIONS

1. Why are the first 11 chapters of Genesis so critical to the case of Christianity?

2. What was Abraham's initial name?

3. What is the historical value of Genesis 11:10-32?

4. Explain why Abram is listed first among his father's sons even though he was not the firstborn.

5. Name some of Abram's famous contemporaries.

6. Locate Ur of the Chaldees on your Bible map.

7. Describe the sophistication of the city of Ur.

8. Describe the religious thinking which dominated Ur and the region in which it was located.

9. Explain how Abram personally felt the strong influence of the paganistic thinking of his contemporaries.

10. Explain how Sarai was related to Abram.

11. Who was Lot?

12. Where was Abram when God first called him to Canaan?

13. Explain how Abram was not at first completely obedient to God's call.

14. What land did God promise to give Abram?

15. Discuss how God has kept His promise to multiply Abram's offspring.

16. Of what person does God's promise to bless all families of the earth speak?

17. In what sense can all the families of the earth be blessed by this one singular offspring of Abram?

18. What unique relationship would the Jewish people have to the revealed Word of God?

19. What connection to the coming Redeemer did God have in mind for the Jews?

20. Explain the change in God's approach in dealing with the world which began with the Jewish nation.