The Essentials Of The Bible: Part 9 -- God Chooses A People – Abram’s Journey Into Canaan And His Rescue Of Lot

The Essentials Of The Bible: Part 9 -- God Chooses A People – Abram’s Journey Into Canaan And His Rescue Of Lot

There is no person in the Bible, except Jesus, whose life could give a greater testimony than Abram.  Called by God to uproot his life, he was chosen by the LORD at age seventy five.  Along with his wife, Sarai and his nephew, Lot; they ventured into an unknown land, to make a fresh start at the instruction of the LORD.  Leaving a family that was steeped in the worship of pagan gods, God called Abram out of the world to be separate.  God was going to form a nation through Abram, a Holy People.

Joshua 24:2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

Entering the land of the Canaanite, Abram erected an altar at Bethel and worship the LORD.  Just as Noah had done, as he disembarked the ark, unto renewed soil of the new earth, after the Great Flood, Abram built an altar to worship God.  Later, King David would build an altar and worship God at the beginning of his reign over Israel.  As we will see, as we go through the Bible; worship to the one true God is the single most foundational act that we can do to build a relationship with the LORD.

AN ORDINARY MAN CALLED TO A LIFE OF TRANSFORMATION, JUST AS WE ARE

Abram was not perfect, but his obedience to God showed his heart to be willing to do all that he could to please God.   Famine drove Abram down to Egypt, where he relied upon his own wits instead of faith in God for protection.  Because his wife Sarai was so beautiful, he lied to Pharaoh and said that she was his sister; so that he would not be killed by Pharaoh.  She was then taken into the house of Pharaoh to become one of his wives and Abram was paid very generously for her in gold, silver, livestock and servants.  The LORD sent plagues upon Pharaoh and his house and Abram and Sarai were sent away with all of their wealth.  See Genesis 12:10-20.

Leaving Egypt, Abram once again stops at Bethel, where he had made an altar before and he worshipped God again in that place.  Genesis 13:2-4

Genesis 13:4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

The combined wealth of Abram and his nephew Lot was so great that they could not continue on together.  Abram gave first choice to Lot; of where to settle.  Lot chose the land by Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abram went the opposite way; and settled in Mamre.  Lot became a city dweller, while Abram remained a shepherd.

Genesis 13:8-9 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.  (9)  Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

Genesis 13:12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

ONCE AGAIN ABRAM BUILDS ANOTHER ALTAR AND WORSHIPS THE LORD

Genesis 13:18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

LOT TAKEN CAPTIVE AND ABRAM RESCUES HIM

Hostile kings from the region of Shinar invaded the kings of the region Sodom and Gomorrah; taking Lot and his household captive among all of the people of the region.  Upon hearing this, Abram armed three hundred and eighteen of his own servants and went and rescued Lot and the kings and all of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah along with their wealth. 

Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

When Abram came back from the slaughter of the invaders, he was met by Melchizedek, king of Salem and Priest of the Most High God.   It is believed that Melchizedek was a theophany (a visible manifestation of God); because Abram paid tithes to Him and served Him.  He came to Abram with bread and wine (the symbols of salvation through Christ’d body and blood) and is viewed by theologians as a type of Christ or savior, being priest and king.

Genesis 14:16-20 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.  (17)  And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.  (18)  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.  (19)  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:  (20)  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave (Abram gave to Melchizedek) him tithes of all.

Psalms 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

These events, early in Abram’s calling, prepared him to become the great patriarch of the Jewish people and God’s chosen lineage through whom He would come to earth and become our Savior. 

Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:17  So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

The number seven (and its multiples, as seen here in fourteen) is a number used by God in the Bible to denote completeness and that which is Holy (i.e. The Sabbath is the seventh day and it is Holy to God; seven day creation week, there are seven annual festivals of the Jews and seven annual Holy Days or Sabbaths…seven churches, seven seals and seven trumpets in the book of Revelation).

Prayer:  Father in Heaven, you have worked in the lives of the patriarchs of the faith and you have called me to follow in that same path of righteousness, to forsake all for you.  Help me to trust you and to follow you in all that I do.  Help me to live in your Holiness.  Let your thoughts fill my mind and heart, in Jesus’ name, Amen.