Abraham – Father Of Faith Part 2 – Abraham Is Promised The Land Of Canaan

Abraham Prospers And Worships  Genesis Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 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.

Abraham Has Become Wealthy  Abraham had gone down to Egypt because of a drought.  There he had made a big mistake regarding Sarah.  But still God protected Abram and blessed him.  He came out of Egypt very wealthy.  God’s love is unconditional

Abram Heads Back To God  After his big mistake in Egypt Abram heads back to the place where he met God and calls on the name of the Lord.  Abram is grateful for God’s unconditional love  We need to head straight back to God when we make a mistake in life.

Prosperity  God sometimes grants great financial prosperity to His saints.  However this is not seen all the time - e.g. Paul  Abraham was given the prosperity needed to found a dynasty.  Prosperity comes when you are in the purposes of God and is for the purposes of God.

Lot & Abraham Separate  5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. 6 Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. 8. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”

Abram Is Gracious  Abram gives his much junior nephew Lot the choice of the best land.  Abram avoids conflict  Abram does not grasp at this world’s goods and advantages.  Abram does not dominate but is meek and humble.

Holding Possessions Lightly  Christians are not to be part of the “rat race”.  We are to hold our possessions lightly  We need to be able to give away the best to others  We need to believe that God will make it up to us.

Lot Chooses Sodom  10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.

Prosperity vs. Promise  Lot chose immediate prosperity – and compromise and dwelt near Sodom  Abram chose the Promise and dwelt in Canaan and relied on God.  Christians may have to choose between prosperity and promise.

The Cost Of Compromise  First wealthy Lot dwells “near Sodom”  Then Lot dwells “in Sodom”  Then Lot’s daughters are engaged to the men of Sodom  Finally his wife is killed and his daughters commit incest.  Compromise cost Lot everything and he ends up living in a cave.

God Promises The Land To Abram 14 And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; 15 for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. 16 And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. 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.

Abram Is Rewarded  Abram does not lose out by being gracious but is instead given the whole land.  God honors those who keep His commandments.  We can trust God to reward us in the long run.

God’s Promises Take Time  It took about 500 years for Abram’s descendants to become numerous and to inherit the land.  It even took 25 years just for Isaac to be born.  Faith + Patience = Inherits The Promise!

Abram Saw The Promise Fulfilled  Abram was still alive (in Heaven) when Moses was called at the burning bush.  Abraham was able to observe the ministry of Jesus thousands of years later.  Christians live forever and most of our reward will be in the Millennium, after Jesus returns.

Abraham Is Still Alive!  Matthew 22:31-32 HCSB Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven't you read what was spoken to you by God: (32) I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."  John 8:56 HCSB Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced."

Our Future Reward  Matthew 19:27-30 HCSB Then Peter responded to Him, "Look, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?" (28) Jesus said to them, "I assure you: In the Messianic Age, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel. (29) And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life. (30) But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Faith Is In Forever  Faith only makes sense if we live forever!  Why sacrifice now if there is “nothing” later!  We have to believe in the Resurrection  True Christians live in the light of Eternity.

Its Not About The Visible!  2 Corinthians 4:16-18 HCSB (16) Therefore we do not give up; even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. (17) For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. (18) So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Walk Through The Land!  Abraham was told to walk through his inheritance.  We need to act as if we have received the reward.  We need to believe that we have received!  Faith acts on God’s promises.

Believing You Have Received! Mark 11:22-24 HCSB Jesus replied to them, "Have faith in God. (23) I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. (24) Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for--believe that you have received them, and you will have them. 1 John 5:14-15 HCSB Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (15) And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.