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It Is Written

Great Characters of the Bible

John Bradshaw

Great Characters of the Bible: Isaac

Great Characters of the Bible: Abraham

Great Characters of the Bible: Esther

Coming up next, please stay tuned for It Is Written, presented by Pastor John Bradshaw.

Emily Post became famous for writing about etiquette.

By the time she was 50 years old, she was already an accomplished writer.

But it was then that her best-selling book, Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home, was published.

In 1922, a lot of people needed a little guidance in how to live like ladies and gentlemen.

1 writer noted that at the time, the country's exotic mix of immigrants and newly rich were eager to fit in with the establishment.

Men had to be taught not to blow their noses into their hands or to spit tobacco onto ladies' backs.

Emily Post wrote advice like this, "...best society is an association of gentlefolk, of which good form in speech, charm of manner, knowledge of the social amenities, and instinctive consideration for the feelings of others are the credentials by which society the world over recognizes its chosen members." She believed a man wasn't a gentleman if he didn't live up to a code of honor, which she said is, "...more important than any mere dictum of etiquette." So, should the man always pay for dinner?

Should a man hold open a door for a woman?

Should a man ever give his wife away to a stranger if he feels that he's in danger?

How do you think Emily Post would answer that?

We're continuing our series, Great Characters of the Bible, and we're looking at a very flawed individual who made some terrible decisions.

He had an affair with his wife's personal assistant, fathered a child with a woman who was not his wife, he attempted to kill his son, and he is often referred to as the father of the faithful.

In spite of his considerable personal failings, Abraham was God's man.

And we're going to see together how that could be, and how Abraham's experience can encourage us to grow in faith in God.

His name is mentioned 294 times in the Bible, the first time in Genesis 11 verse 26, and way back then, His name wasn't even Abraham.

And Terah lived 70 years and begat Abram, Nahor and Haran.

The 3 boys were raised in the same circumstances, yet 1 of them was changed, transformed really, and became 1 of the pivotal figures in all of the 66 books of the Bible.

Today he is revered and respected by Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which means that he is important to more than half of the world's population.

And we're going to find out just what it was that makes Abraham Such a big deal.

Hebrews 11, the Bible's great faith chapter says, "...by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.

And he went out, not knowing where he was going." Now those 2 words, by faith, Without exaggeration, they're 2 of the most important words in the entire Bible.

And if we understand them, they'll provide a framework for our entire lives.

If we don't get hold of that concept, then there's no way we can live a successful life in this world or in the world to come.

To track Abraham's journey of faith, we'll begin in Genesis chapter 12, starting with verse 1.

Now the Lord had said to Abram, Get out from your country, from your kindred, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.

I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.

God was looking for someone who would keep alive the knowledge of the true God, and represent God and make Him known throughout the land of Canaan, where idol worship and human sacrifice were common.

Now this was just 100 years or so after the Tower of Babel.

God wanted a living example of what a life of faith in God looked like.

And there had to be a line so that God could fulfill His promise to Adam and Eve that 1 day, the seed of the woman would be victorious over the serpent.

God was looking for a family into which the Messiah could be born.

And for that to work, Abram really needed to get away from his idol-worshipping family and friends.

But before too long, a famine caused them to detour to Egypt.

And just 10 verses after God told Abram that He would make of him a great nation, Abram… well, let's just say his actions wouldn't have been recommended by Emily Post.

What Abram did was not best society by any means.

His wife Sarai was very beautiful, and Abram was afraid that Pharaoh would kill him in order to take Sarai as his own.

So, instead of defending his wife's honor, and instead of trusting God to work it all out, Abram convinced Sarai, his wife, to be complicit in what was a terrible scheme.

He said that Sarai was his sister, which in fact was technically true, as she was his half-sister.

But fear had got the better of Abram, and he lost out because of that.

God was trying to build and grow his faith, and Abram lost the opportunity to see God work on his behalf.

You know, God will allow difficult situations to come into our lives so that we can exercise faith, so that we can see Him work, which would then increase our faith.

Is there something God wants you to grow from that instead you're running from?

Didn't work out well for Abram when he ran.

But God didn't cast him off, and the Pharaoh didn't keep Sarai, Abram's wife, as his own, even though Pharaohs could do that sort of thing.

God intervened, and he continued to work with Abram, just like he does with us, even when we make mistakes.

It's good to know that God is the potter, we're the clay, and He allows life's experiences to mold us on our journey to the Promised Land.

According to Genesis 13, Abram was very rich in livestock in silver and gold.

His nephew Lot had traveled with him, and things became tense.

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." Verse 7, And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock.

But rather than get embroiled in an argument, Abram saw a solution.

He met with Lot and gently laid out the problem.

And then he said, "'Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen.

If you take the left, then I will go to the right.

Or if you go to the right, Then I'll go to the left." Abram could have chosen first.

And as leader of the family, he had the prerogative to choose the best.

Lot, on the other hand, lifted up his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan that was well-watered everywhere.

The river Jordan ran through the valley, making it the perfect place to settle down and be comfortable.

After Lot left, the Lord said to Abram, Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are, northward, southward, eastward and westward.

For all the land which you see, I give to you and your descendants forever." And then God made this beautiful promise, 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.

Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.

That beautiful valley was soon to become, it was soon to become a battlefield.

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Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written.

We're continuing our series, Great Characters of the Bible.

We're looking at Abraham, the father of the faithful.

When given the choice, Abram's nephew Lot chose the well-watered valley and plains close to the city of Sodom as his own.

In other words, he chose the best for himself.

It turned out to be a disastrous decision.

In the long term, there'd be the calamitous destruction of Solomon Gomorrah and the ruinous effect that living there had on his family.

But in the short term, 5 kings marched against the people of the valley and took Lot and his family captive.

So Abram took 318 servants, pursued the invaders, attacked swiftly and recovered all of the prisoners and all the spoils.

He's flawed, but he clearly wishes to honor and serve God, and he's a man of courage and principle.

When he asked about an heir, about a son, God said to him, "'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And then he added this, "...so shall your descendants be." Right then and there, God made a covenant with Abram, and God always keeps His promise.

But as time marched on, Sarai remained childless, and the 2 got older and older.

And Sarai figured that she'd never be a mother.

Series

Great Characters of the Bible

Great Characters of the Bible: Abraham

Transcript

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

The Whole Truth

Faith or Works?

1h 4m

Cory Reeves Weekend

Our Response

55m

Father Abraham

54m

Great Characters of the Bible

Great Characters of the Bible: Isaac

28m

Man of Faith

28m

Issues of Faith

The Faith That Pleases God

57m

Abraham: Father of the End-time Faithful

Father Abraham: Ever Obedient

40m

Lessons from the Book of Genesis

The Faith of Abraham

50m

Morning Devotional

The Faithfulness of God

23m

The Gospel

2h 10m

The Experience of the Peace of Justification

48m

The Everlasting Gospel

5. Righteousness by Faith

48m

Sound Doctrine