CRUCIAL STEPS IN THE JOURNEY
SEPARATION; REVELATION; WORSHIP
In the life of
ABRAHAM
The life of Abraham is remarkable, in that it clearly reflects aspects of our own life with God. There were certain very positive decisions that he had to make that were to become landmarks in his journey of life with God. We also see how kind and gentle the Lord is, as He presents each step to Abraham – He presents them one at a time, so that they can be dealt with in a gentle but positive manner. The Lord knew the end result, but did not overwhelm His friend by showing him the final completed picture - just one step at a time.
As we look at these five important steps in Abraham’s life, we will see that they are also steps that challenge us in our walk with God.
The first of the steps forward was
1. A SEPARATION FROM FAMILY
Genesis 12:1. The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
This is a hard step to face, and you will see that it is the first step! Here is a challenge for us to assess our love for the Lord, and see if He really has first place in our hearts! The Lord knew that Abram would never get very far with God if he stayed where he was. There was too much to pull him away from the things of God; so it meant leaving his country, family and friends; and stepping out into the unknown – with God!
We see the Lord Jesus giving a similar challenge in
Matthew 10:37. The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. [Holman]
If we are going to progress with God, and enjoy the many blessings He has waiting for us, then we must give Him first place in every part of our lives. This will seem to be a very big step to take, but it is what the Lord desires of us.
II Corinthians 6:17 Come out from among
You can be certain that if we take this first vital step there will be a response from the Lord. As Abram responded to the Lord, so the Lord responded to Abram, and began to reveal the incredible blessing that was in store for him. But once again it was one step at a time, as I feel certain that Abram would not have been able to understand the amazing things stored up for him. See that with Abram’s response came God’s revelation!
A REVELATION OF GOD’S PROMISES
Genesis 12:7. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
It may be that when we first came to know the Lord as Saviour our understanding was limited, but it was still wonderful to know that there was something in store for us, and we can rejoice in the certainty of the Word of God.
John 10:28. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me. [NLT]
What a wonderful revelation God has given us; to KNOW that we have eternal life! That should bring a further response from our hearts, as it did with Abram, for we see that the revelation of God’s blessing led to a heart response of worship.
WORSHIP
Genesis 12:8. He went on towards the hills east of Bethel and 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.
This was worship as a response to the blessing of the Lord. There was nothing ritualistic about this, it was from the heart. The Father is still looking for this kind of response
John 4:23. But the time is coming - indeed it’s here now - when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. [NLT]
When our heart is right before God, it follows that there will be a desire to be godly in the way we behave, and we come to a part in the record concerning Abram when there was contention developing between Abram’s people, and Lot’s people, and this was in front of the nations around them! It obviously grieved Abram, and he saw the need to separate himself from this contentious spirit.
2. A SEPARATION FROM CONTENTION
Genesis 13:9. Abram said to Lot, "Let’s not have any quarrelling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers.
The apparent result, following Lot’s choice, was that Lot was better off than Abram – but Abram had God!
There will be times in our own experience when we will need to stand away from things that are wrong, in family life, in our social life, and even in church life. If we are willing to do so, then we will not lose, for the Lord is on our side! See what happened to Abram. God gave him a further development of the promise.
A REVELATION OF GOD’S PROMISE IN A FULLER MEASURE
Genesis 13:14-17. The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring for ever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."
What an amazing promise! Lot could choose what appeared to be the best land, but God was giving it all to Abram, it was God’s to give and Abram’s to possess.
The response from this great man of God is quite revealing – it shows the true heart of the man. He does not blow great trumpeting fanfares; he simply moves to a quiet spot and worships the Lord!
WORSHIP
Genesis 13:18. So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.
If we want to know what true worship is, then we need to ensure that our heart is right with our Lord, and with our brother! The Lord Jesus makes this very clear.
Matthew 5:23-24. 23 So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Lot’s choice led to great trouble, and Abram is able to step in and deliver him from the trouble, and in so doing to bless the people around him. They in turn seek to give a reward to Abram, but it appears that Abram sees an underlying motive, and refuses to accept the gift. Abram is satisfied with the Lord, and His promise!
There must be a separation in our hearts from loving worldly gain.
3. A SEPARATION FROM LOVE OF WORLDLY GAIN
Genesis 14:22-23. Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’
There is a principle in the Scriptures, and clearly we are told not to covet. The reason we covet is because we are not satisfied with what we have! Let me remind you of that encouraging verse in Hebrews,
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
The Apostle John makes this clear as he writes,
I John 2:15. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [NIV]
Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. [Message]
Having God with us is better than riches!
When Abram had made this great statement, God again speaks to him, and reveals to him that He is his protector, and his provider! There was a further revelation for Abram.
A REVELATION OF GOD’S SUFFICIENCY
Genesis 15:1 & 18. After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."
18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates
It is at this point that Separation, Revelation and Worship seem to become intertwined, and Abram is at a place where God is able to speak great things to him, and Abram’s response is worship, even as he obeys the word of the Lord.
WORSHIP
Genesis 15:9-10. The LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half.
We would need to read the entire chapter to understand the fullness of this revelation from God to His servant. It is an amazing revelation, and it will yet be fulfilled!
It seems that even at this advanced stage Abraham had a problem, seeking to ‘help God’ bring the promises into reality. God shows him that the right way is not his way, but the Lord’s way. He is challenged to release Ishmael to the Lord, sending him away from the family, as Ishmael was not God’s way, but the way of the flesh. There must be
4. A SEPARATION FROM THE FLESH
Genesis 21:14. Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy.
How it must have grieved Abraham to send the boy away, but he had caused the problem himself, and needed to personally resolve the problem. The Lord encourages him showing him the better way that the Lord had for him.
A REVELATION OF GOD’S MORE PERFECT WILL
Genesis 21:12. God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.
Again Abraham marks the occasion with an act of worship. It appears that this was a response that came from Abraham’s spirit, for he constantly makes landmarks to commemorate the occasion.
WORSHIP
Genesis 21:33. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.
Paul deals with this point so well in Ephesians, and I use ‘The Message’ to emphasise,
Ephesians 4:22-24. 22 Since we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything - and I do mean everything - connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, 23 a life renewed from the inside 24 and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. [Message]
The result of removing things associated with the old way of life is that our hearts and lives have room for the things of God; and as God fills our lives there emerges a true spirit of worship.
But now, there comes the hardest test Abraham was to face.
5. A SEPARATION FROM HIS OWN DESIRES, HOPES & AMBITIONS
Genesis 22: 1-3. Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. . . .
I have a feeling that the Lord was asking Abram to put the Lord before the promises! Here arises a question. Why are we serving the Lord? Is it because it is our duty? Is it because the Lord has made us certain promises? Or is it simply because we love the Lord? I think that this is where the real challenge comes to Abram, and to us!
Have a look into Paul’s heart;
Philippians 3:7-8. 7 Yet every advantage that I had gained I considered loss for Christ’s sake. 8 Yes, and I look upon everything as loss compared with the overwhelming gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I did in fact suffer the loss of everything, but I considered it mere garbage compared with being able to win Christ. [J B Philips]
It is as Abraham responds to God’s challenge, that the full promise is revealed.
A REVELATION OF GOD’S BOUNDLESS BLESSING
Genesis 22:15-18. 15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
If only we could have a heart like this, where we serve the Lord simply because we love Him! I believe that the blessing of the Lord would be poured out in a measure that we could never contain, and so it would overflow to others; causing us to worship!
WORSHIP
Genesis 22:13-14. 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."
Abraham, once again, responds in the same way he had been learning to do, and that was to worship the Lord. He had given his son to the Lord, and yet he still had him, and more – so much more. Now we must think about our response,
Romans 12:1-2. 1 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. [NLT]
The God of Abraham is our God, and is still seeking people to worship Him. Let us be willing to set ourselves free from those things which bind us and hinder us, so that we can worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth.
